Wings of Destiny
by Arayelle Lynn
Summary: GSDxGW C.E. 73 the war is escalating. However, without them knowing, another great war is at hand. Unless they work together, Earth and PLANT alike will never survived! Try this, it's great!
1. Phase 00: Intertwined

**DISCLAIMER:** Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed Destiny are not mine (how I wish! ). Don't sue, it'll be a waste of money and time, which you can spend creating more Gundam series. 

**TIMELINE**: Happen throughout the Gundam Seed Destiny's events.

**WARNING: **Major spoilers! Especially for those who have not watched Destiny.

**PHASE 00: INTERTWINED**

By Arayelle Lynn.

"Let's do this."

"Are you sure?"

"We have no choice."

"But the children? Isn't it about time they're left to tend their own lives?"

"We have no choice, Revered Mother. The universe hangs in balance. The children are the only ones capable of saving it. They're our only hope."

"But their own lives? When will they be able to live them?"

"When they're done. Or you would rather we send the alternates?"

"No! They're already in precarious situations as it is."

Silent.

"When will this end?"

"Soon, Revered Mother. The battles have already taken place elsewhere and soon it'll be over."

"I pray so."

**>>>>>>**

**Cosmic Era 71,**

**Onogoro Island, United Emirates of Orb,**

"Faster!"

"Quickly, children!" the man stopped to monitor his family's progress. His son was helping his wife and daughter climbed up the hill. The distinctive sound of explosions was the only thing they could hear coming from where they came as smoke from burning trees reached their nostrils.

Suddenly the Earth shook. His daughter screamed. He looked at where the explosion originated and frowned. The battles seemed to be getting nearer.

He heard someone coughed. "Father," his son called, as they reached him. He nodded in encouragement at them. "It'll be fine," he reassured them, sensing the fear in their eyes. "It'll be okay when we reach the port."

The trust in their eyes touched him. "Come on, Shinn!"

His only son nodded. For a boy of his age, he had certainly showed great courage and outstanding calm in helping out his family evacuate the war zone. The father in him couldn't have been any prouder.

Another explosion nearby prodded them to scramble forward. The docks where the evacuation ships are waiting were just beyond the hill. It won't be long until they were safe and sound.

A screeching sound and a gust of wind threw them off their feet. Shinn grabbed his little sister and shielded her as a mobile armor flew past. Something exploded right in their path.

They picked themselves up, staring up to the two battling mobile armor called Gundams. Seeing that there was no other way through, Mr. Asuka pointed to a path downhill. "Come on, this way," he shouted, over the noise.

Shinn and his sister started following their parents. Suddenly, something dropped out of Mayu's, his sister, pocket. It clattered to the ground before bouncing off the ravine. "My cell phone!" she cried.

"There's no time for that! We must hurry," his mother stopped her, grabbing her hand.

But Mayu resisted. Shinn knew how much the cell phone meant to her. It was the birthday gift he had given her a few months ago.

"Come on, Mayu! Forget it!"

"No! I must have it."

Without wasting any time, Shinn dropped his bag and slid down the slope. He ignored his parents' protests as he searched for the phone. All around him, the battle continued, sending a feeling of resentment through him.

'Found it!' he thought, spotting the item in question near a tree root. He picked up and was about to turn when a wave of heat hit him, sending him flying through the air. His cries drown by a strange, booming sound.

Shinn hit the ground hard. For a moment, he lied there; the wind was knocked out of him. Then, feeling and sound began to return. He found that his ears were ringing; his body hurting all over and there was a strange feeling of wrongness filling his soul.

Then he heard a man's voice as he felt himself being lifted. Whoever it was asked him a question which he was too confused to answer. Then he realized that he was being led away.

That was when the feeling of wrongness turned into realization. His eyes widened, Shinn turned around, hoping to see his family. Instead, he saw charred grounds and burning trees. A large hole had appeared where it was not seconds ago. And his family…

"Mayu!" he croaked, seeing the familiar sleeve of his sister's uniform. But what shocked him was that the arm was not connected to the body!

Shinn's eyes strayed over the carnage before him, spotting the mutilated bodies of his family. There was blood everywhere as well as pieces of body parts. Suddenly, he cannot breathe. His chest heaved as his heart and mind tried to take in the whole scene. Unable to support himself anymore, he fell onto the ground, just before what used to be her sister's arm.

His head spinning, Shinn reached out for the arm. To hold it, to somehow return it to his sister. She will need that arm. She will cry unless he returned her arm to her. And maybe, just maybe, she would get up and be her usual mischievous self and make his life a living hell. And maybe then, his parents would be there to stop them from bickering.

But his fingers froze inches away for the bloody mass. Reality was starting to hit him and Shinn felt something broke inside him. The falling of tiny droplets from his eyes was forgotten as he tried to swallow the harsh reality.

His family was no more!

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an explosion as a gust of hot air nearly swept him off the ground once more. This time, he didn't cringe back. Instead, his eyes followed the motion of the two mobile armors battling in the air.

Then, the strange feeling inside him turned into something more sinister. Rage. He glared at the battling Gundams as the feeling grew until he couldn't stop it from escaping his lips.

Finally, he screamed.

**>>>>>>**

**Some time,**

**Some place,**

He had no name.

Or hadn't he?

He wasn't sure. If he had a name, he would not have been here.

Or would he?

Perhaps his lacking in name was the reason he was here.

Who was he?

Where did he come from?

Where was his family?

Or did he even have family?

He didn't know. Or rather, he couldn't remember. The only thing he remembered was walking. He had been walking endlessly for as long as he could remember. He had been walking until feeling had left his feet entirely. But still he kept walking.

Where was he heading to?

Nowhere. He had nowhere to go. There was no destination for him. Just the journey. The journey he hardly remember starting and it was a journey that he was still venturing.

So why did he keep to his journey? Where else, he had no destination awaiting him?

He didn't know. The only thing he knew was that he will continue where his heart led him. Somewhere in his fuzzy mind, he remembered vaguely. Someone from his past had told him to act on his own emotion. To let his heart leads him. And since that was the only thing he had, he decided to continue. To continue his journey led by the ghost of a forgotten memory.

So, he continued on…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**A/N: **So, what do you think? Is this fic worth a second chapter? Tell me.


	2. Phase 01: Angered Eyes

**DISCLAIMER:** Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed Destiny are not mine (how I wish!). Don't sue, it'll be a waste of money and time, which you can spend creating more Gundam series. :)

**TIMELINE**: Happen throughout the Gundam Seed Destiny's events.

**WARNING: **Major spoilers! Especially for those who have not seen Destiny. So, there!

**PHASE 01: ANGERED EYES**

By Arayelle Lynn.

**Cosmic Era 73,**

**PLANT,**

"Sir, the Orb representative has arrived."

A golden-haired young man looked up from the files he had been reading, surprised. "Already?"

"Yes," his secretary answered. "They're on their way here."

The young man looked at the others in the room. None of them had expected the Orb representative to be this early. There was still much to be discussed before meeting the Orb's Prime Minister. That and the fact that Chairman Dullindal was still unavailable to meet the representative, having to inspect the progress of the next day's ceremony.

He sighed. "That's it, gentlemen. We'll wrap up our meeting some other time. I hope we'll be seeing each other tomorrow." He then rose to his feet as the others filed out of the room. He turned to the secretary.

"Could you please inform the Chairman that his guests are here?" he requested, straightening his designer suit. The man acknowledged his request with a nod and left as well.

The young man turned and smiled at the remaining two men in the room, his assistants. "Well, let's get this show on the road."

xxxXxxx

The colony was still as peaceful as ever, that was Cagalli's first thought as she and her companion made their way towards the Chairman's main office. This wasn't exactly Cagalli's first visit to PLANT, in fact, she had been to outer space more than she could keep track. But the peaceful silence in space never ceased to amaze her.

Walking silently beside her, her companion took in the surroundings with even more interest. His emerald eyes lingered long and hard upon the colonists, who was going about their own life as usual. Occasionally, he would crane his neck for a closer look whenever he spotted something he had never seen before. But all the while, he kept his mouth shut and his face impassive.

Cagalli understood his reaction very well. After all, he had once lived on PLANT. That was, until he moved to Orb almost two years ago, under an unusual circumstance that he rather not talked about. But knowing the reason why he left, Cagalli could sense his feelings as he gazed upon his former home. That, and the danger he could be in if anyone found out that he was back.

"Representative Athha?" their escort voiced, waiting at the gaping door of the elevator.

Realizing that she had stopped, Cagalli blushed and entered the elevator with a nod. Behind her, her companion whispered. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, then paid attention to what their escort was telling them. "…unfortunately, the Chairman isn't available at the moment so his personal assistant will be seeing you until he is made available." The escort hesitated, uncertainly. "I hope that would not be a problem."

Cagalli smiled at him reassuringly. "No, no problem at all," she responded as they ascended to the top of the building. "I've been meaning to meet the Chairman's assistant ever since we started our correspondence over the phone." She paused. "It's hard to discuss any dealings without seeing how he looks like."

"We're sorry for that," the escort apologized. "Ever since the war, the communication network seemed to be affected."

"No apology needed, please," Cagalli countered. "It's fortunate that the news network works perfectly or else our knowledge of PLANT's condition would be severely outdated and vice versa."

"Yes, it is fortunate," the escort agreed.

When the door finally opened, Cagalli found three men waiting in an office. One of them rose from the sofa and made his way towards them.

"Welcome, Prime Minister Athha," he greeted in a voice that Cagalli found so strangely familiar. "I am the Chairman's personal assistant. And I apologize that the Chairman isn't available to receive you at the port. I trust you had a smooth journey here?"

"Err… yes, thank you," she responded, taken aback. She was slightly surprised to finally find out who Dullindal's personal assistant was.

He was young. In fact, he could be about her age. His soft delicate features, sun golden hair and innocent cerulean blue eyes made him look even younger and more angelic. The warmth in his smile put an ease in her otherwise troubled heart.

"It's so nice to have finally met you," he was saying. His eyes betrayed his child-like excitement. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner."

xxxXxxx

"Shinn, come on! We're going to be late."

Shinn Asuka glanced at his friend, Youlan Kent, who waited impatiently by the door. Then he heard the cashier called him and he took his change and the shopping bag that was handed to him. Scowling, his friend took his arm and pulled him out of the shop before he could acknowledge the cashier's _'Please come again'_.

"Come on, we only have 15 minutes left! You don't want to be late on our shift, do you?"

Shinn winced at the thought. The ship was his first commission ever since he graduated from the academy and he didn't want to be late either. And he had learned a long time ago how important it was to make a good first impression on his senior officers.

"Pipe down, will you?" he said, pulling his arm back. "It wouldn't do us good if we're involved in an accident on our way back to base. Besides, it's not my fault that we're late… _ugh_!" Before he could finish his sentence, something warm and soft hit him. For a moment, his breath was knocked out of him but instincts kicked in as he wrapped him arms around something pink and soft, steadying it.

It was a girl! And for a few seconds, his eyes lingered on her beautiful blue eyes and delicate features. Her golden blond hair reflected the sunlight, creating a nice glow on her pretty face. Still staring at her, Shinn found himself unable to break away from her penetrating gaze.

Suddenly, the blue eyes narrowed and Shinn felt a sharp, stinging pain on his left cheek. More surprised than pained, he released her and watched as she stormed away with two boys, her companions obviously.

"What was _that_ for?" he dumbly asked himself, staring at his hands.

"'_What was that for?_'" Youlan echoed in disbelief. His lips broke into a sly smile. "You pervert. Don't tell me that you don't know what you have done!"

Realizing what his friend was implying, he sputtered a protest. "B…but it was an accident! I didn't mean…"

"Sure you don't…" his friend responded, jabbing his elbow into his side. "Why wouldn't a guy lay his hands on a gorgeous girl like that."

"Youlan!" Shinn protested, helplessly. He knew that the damage was done and that he was going to be hearing about this from all of his friends once they return to base. Deciding that he could not hold off the inevitable, he decided to give himself a moment of reprieve and reminded his friend of the time. "And if we don't get there soon, the commander is really going to give us something to think about."

"Oh, shit!" Youlan looked at his watch. Seeing the smirk on Shinn's face, he grabbed his arm. "Come on! Mr. Abes is going to kill me if I'm late!"

"Hey, slow down! We don't want to hit someone else," Shinn tried to warn him but it was too late. As they were turning around a sharp corner, they collided with yet another pedestrian.

For the second time, Shinn found his breath was knocked out of him. As he tilted backward, he groaned inwardly. 'Let it not be another hot-tempered girl,' he prayed.

A pair of strong arms reached out to steady them. Regaining his balance, Shinn looked up to the person they crashed into only to find himself staring into a pair of cold Prussian blue eyes.

"Sorry," he muttered as he was released. The owner of the eyes, a boy only a year or two older than him, glared at them as if gauging their right to exist before his presence.

Keeping his silence, Youlan could only gulp and cringe back against the boy's scrutinizing gaze. His insides flipping under the chill that had mysteriously appeared in the late summer afternoon. Never had they seen anyone with such cold and dispassionate face.

The boy pulled down his cap and shoved his hands into his coverall pockets. He shrugged. "Hn.." was his response to Shinn's apology. His voice was toneless.

Shinn and Youlan watched as the boy, who was obviously a technician, walked away without a word. They stood there in silence until he disappeared from view. "Wow!" Youlan whistled, his nerves returning. "It's like talking to a walking dead man."

xxxXxxx

"Please to meet you, Mr. Winner," Cagalli greeted, shaking his hands. "I'm glad I finally have a face to match the name and voice."

Quatre Winner smiled. "Likewise. Though, it was easier for me to recognize you from the news reports I've been watching on the 'net."

Cagalli found herself smiling even wider. Before this over the phone, she had found Quatre Winner to be very respectful and now she found him to be endearing. She liked his easy-going and friendly manner as much as his innocent smile. And he reminded her so much of someone. 'I hope it'll be easier to convince the Chairman with him around.'

A slight movement reminded her of her companion. Clearing her throat, she beckoned to Athrun. "And this is Ath… uh… Alex Dino, my aide and bodyguard."

If Winner had caught her slip, he didn't show it. Instead, he thrust his hand at Athrun and two young men shook hands. Cerulean blue eyes met emerald green ones. "Please to meet you, Mr. Dino."

"Please call me Alex, Mr. Winner."

"Very well, just Quatre, both of you."

Just as he said that, the door was opened and a man walked in. He whispered something in Quatre's ears and stepped back when the Chairman's assistant turned to regard his guests. "You're in luck," he said. "The Chairman returned early from his tour. If you just step this way, I will take you to his office."

Cagalli and Athrun followed Quatre into the next room. There, they saw Dullindal coming in from another door, with some people trailing behind him. He smiled at them. "So the princess is here."

"Sir, I'd like you to meet Representative Cagalli Yula Athha from Orb and her aide, Mr. Alex Dino."

"Yes, I believe I've met Representative Athha a few months ago," he said, greeting the golden-haired diplomat. "Though I seemed to recall seeing Mr. Dino a couple of times but we were never properly introduced."

Though the Chairman had said it almost off-handedly, Athrun felt the bite in his words. Instinctively, he broke his gaze from Dullindal's penetrating eyes. "You don't mind me calling you Alex, do you?" the Chairman asked, drawing a surprise look from the blue-haired boy.

"Uh… not at all, sir."

"Well then," Dullindal returned to Cagalli. "Thank you for coming such a long way."

"No, it's an honor to have you see us at such busy times."

"How's everything at Orb? I heard many things were resolved since your coming into power. As an ally, I am delighted to hear it," said Dullindal, leading her towards the sofa at the corner of his big office.

"Yes, though there are still much to be done. The war had caused enough devastation," she responded, taking the seat that was offered to her. Athrun remained standing behind her while Quatre stood behind the Chairman along with his men.

For a moment, Cagalli studied the older man, taking note of his long black hair which framed his handsome face nicely. His muscular frame was straight and erect, emanating the aura of great self-confidence and regality. His icy blue eyes were deep and sharp, with a touch of great intelligence in them. This was a man that no one should trifle with.

"So, what brings the princess of Orb here so urgently?" he began. "Our ambassador has informed Mr. Winner that you have come to discuss a rather grave issue."

Suddenly Cagalli found herself speechless. Dullindal's penetrating eyes bore into hers, as if inviting her to share her inner most, darkest secrets. It unnerved her to find someone with such power over her.

A slight nudge from Athrun broke her thoughts. It was then she realized that Dullindal was asking her something. "Uh… yes," she began, fumbling with her words. I'm here for a very serious matter."

"I dare not think otherwise," Dullindal responded calmly. "Else, the head of Orb nation wouldn't be here herself."

She blushed a little, silently cursing herself. Luckily, Athrun's warm presence eased her embarrassment and when she looked up to Quatre's kind smile, her courage was restored. Cagalli met the Chairman's eyes evenly.

"Actually, it wouldn't have been such a grave issue had you not properly make a conclusive reply to our request." She paused for an effect. "Earlier, we have requested that you ceased using our military personnel that have taken refuge here. So, why haven't we received a reply?"

"Ahh! So, _that's_ what brings you here," he responded. "Princess, don't get our intentions wrong. We're simply offering the refugees a place in our society, as well as exercising our right to defend ourselves."

His answer took Cagalli by surprise. Seeing her reaction, Dullindal beckoned one of his men over. "Princess, perhaps I should take you on a tour. Maybe it'll ease your worry a little if not make my point."

xxxXxxx

"Shinn! Youlan! You're late!" a carrot-haired boy shouted over, stopping the jeep just inches from them. "We're due in five minutes. You know how the commander tolerates tardiness."

"Sorry, Vino," Shinn grimaced as he and Youlan hopped on. The jeep screeched forward even before they could settle down properly.

"So, did you get the things I asked you to?" Vino Dupre inquired, glancing over at the two friends.

"Uh… yeah," he answered, gripping his seat. As usual, the boy's driving skills left much to be desired. Especially when he was in a hurry. "Watch the road, Vino!" he warned as another jeep made its way towards them.

The jeep swerved, narrowly missing the foot of a Zaku, and nearly throwing him off. Exhaling the breath he didn't know he was holding, Shinn suggested. "Maybe I should drive."

"Nonsense," his friend responded, smiling wickedly. "Don't tell me I'm _THAT_ bad."

"No, you're worse," Youlan muttered under his breath. He was holding onto the shopping bags as if they were his lifeline.

Vino threw him a mischievous look before swerving to the right, making Youlan nearly lost his balance. Hearing him throwing a few curses at him, Vino laughed.

"Where are Rey and Luna?" Shinn inquired.

"They're supervising the mobile suits' docking. You know how it is with pilots, always working and no life."

"Hey."

xxxXxxx

"01 here."

"It's about time. Status."

He briefly scanned his surroundings. The space port was busier than usually, thanks to the next day's festivities. "I'm in position." He paused, gauging the appropriateness of his position. "Commencing."

"Roger that. And be careful. You can't afford to be caught now."

"Hn."

xxxXxxx

"They're in position, colonel." The comm. officer reported. "Estimated time of commencement, 10 minutes. No further communication until the mission is accomplished."

"Good," Colonel Neo Lorrnoke acknowledged, rising from his seat. He smiled at the prospect of his mission's victory. His men would get their mission right, he was sure of it. They were trained not to fail. "All hands stand by at your respective stations."

His orders were laid out throughout the ship as the crew scrambled to man their stations. Each of them knew how crucial the mission was for the future and they knew that their commander would lead them to victory as promised.

The masked colonel sensed the questioning look from his second officer, the captain of the ship. "You're expecting trouble, colonel?"

"No, but how often does a mission like this goes smoothly, major?"

The captain sighed. "Let's hope we'll bring back something good that could make the engineers happy."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that."

xxxXxxx

"These are a few that we managed to salvage from the last war," Dullindal was saying as he led the group through the busy military facility. Cagalli observed as some soldiers paused long enough to salute them before going about their duties. Out of habit, Athrun saluted them back, unaware that his actions were closely watched.

Both of them drank at the sight of the weapons in the facility. Athrun looked taken aback when he saw the number of mobile armor available while Cagalli turned her surprise to Quatre, who looked away.

"Princess, you are the brave warrior who piloted in the last war. You are also the successor to Uzumi Athha, the Lion of Orb who had carried through his plans despite the outside pressures. You should understand how we must handle the current situation," Dullindal continued, as if oblivious to their reaction.

"But we are only carrying through our country's ideal."

Dullindal glanced at her. "Yes, you do not invade and let your country be invaded. And you do not interfere with any conflicts. Is that right?"

Cagalli nodded in resolution. "Yes."

"Then we take the same stance. Of course it'd be best if we could keep to that but it is impossible without military strength. I am sure you understand, princess. No, you must know it better than I do, princess. Isn't Orb well armed too?"

That startled her. Cagalli looked away, thinking of her displeasure over her own country's need of armaments.

"And what about the Federation? Aren't _they_ well armed too?"

"I wish you wouldn't address me as princess, Chairman Dullindal," she responded, meeting his eyes evenly. The Chairman raised his eyebrow, obviously impressed by her bravado.

"Forgive me, Prime Minister Athha," he corrected himself, bowing gracefully. "I wish no disrespect."

"None taken."

"As it is," the Chairman continued. "I wish you would answer me. What is it that you are afraid of?" His question startled her again. "Pressure from the Atlantic Federation? Do they seriously think that Orb has violated the peace treaty by helping us?"

"This is, of course, unfounded. We did take in refugees during the Orb war. If they want to make a living with their skills here, it's only natural."

"But over armament will provoke conflicts," Cagalli protested, facing him.

"No, Prime Minister. Armament is necessary because there are always conflicts."

xxxXxxx

"Our ride is here," a green-haired boy announced as soon as their ride stopped. Two men were inside the jeep, in appearance they looked like ZAFT officers but they were actually the spies the Federation had planted to assist them with the mission.

"All clear," they reported after the three youths had climbed aboard. They drove towards the military port where their target was. "All you need are here," the spy briefed, gesturing at the knapsack that he was holding.

"Roger," the green-haired boy acknowledged, obviously the leader. He glanced at his companions, a blue-haired boy and a blond girl. "Ready?" They both nodded in response.

"Hold on," said their driver as their vehicle stopped at the guard post. The guard eyed them carefully, reading through some papers that their driver had handed over. Then he spared a glance at the other guard who was sleeping in the guard house, before waving them in.

Definitely one of their men.

They drove for a short distance, stopping before a huge storage hangar. There, one of them took out a passkey from the knapsack and slid it across the electronic lock. When the thick steel door creaked open, the three youth exchanged knowing glances before setting to work.

xxxXxxx

"Allow me to put it this way, Prime Minister," the Chairman began. "Compare to Orb and the Federation, PLANT is more vulnerable. We constantly have to battle within ourselves at the thought of an attack because we have nowhere to go." He pointedly looked at his personal assistant who had accompanied them. "In truth, when we decide to live in space, we're actually signing our death warrant."

His words surprised them, even Quatre. "All of us here want peace. And no one wanted it more than myself, which is why I have worked tirelessly to convince others to look past our former Chairman Patrick Zala's ideals."

As he said that, he glanced at Cagalli's aide, satisfied to see a slight reaction on the bodyguard's face. "Of all, we from PLANT stand to lose more, Prime Minister Athha. By arming ourselves, we are merely exercising our rights to defend ourselves. Please, try to understand this."

Cagalli sighed, the ghost of a repeated argument sounded in her head all over again causing another wave of an old headache. "I wish we could all live in a world where we could all trust each other enough to throw away our weapons."

That made Dullindal chuckled in amusement. "Prime Minister Athha, if I hadn't known any better you sound just like my assistant here." He spared an affectionate glance at Quatre who looked back at him, startled. "I'm sure he had given me the exact same speech when we first decided to arm ourselves."

Both Cagalli and Athrun turned to Quatre who blushed at the sudden attention. She smiled at him, silently thanking for his presence among Dullindal's staff. With him around, she was sure that they could convince the Chairman of PLANT to act accordingly.

"And if Mr. Dino hadn't been here, I would've said that you and Mr. Winner are a perfect couple."

Now all three of them were blushing. Cagalli couldn't be sure if this was intentional. This was hardly the appropriate matter to mention in a diplomatic discussion. But it seemed to successfully drive them off from the subject that they were discussing. Now, the three youths were too embarrassed to face each other as Dullindal watched all of them, chuckling to himself.

Then Cagalli saw Quatre rubbed at his chest, his forehead frowning as if in pain. His eyes darted wildly around him before a look of pure horror marred his handsome face. "Everybody, down!" he shouted as a shot rang out.

xxxXxxx

"Ensign Asuka, you're late!" a man in an officer uniform scolded him as Shinn made his way towards the new ZAFT ship, Minerva. "You're supposed to be here five minutes ago."

Shinn straightened himself up before saluting, smartly. "I'm sorry, Commander. I was held up by the traffic. It won't happen again," he promised, feeling the bite of his officer's steely gaze. It made him wonder how his friend, Youlan, fared with his even sterner superior officer.

"Make sure you do, Ensign. Once we set sail, I will not tolerate any tardiness. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Now, return to your station. Although the ceremony is 24 hours away there are still much that needed to be done."

"Aye, sir."

"Commander!" a breathless young officer came running towards them. He screeched to a stop and saluted him. "Sir! There's been an attempt on the Chairman's life."

"What!"

xxxXxxx

When the shot rang out, Athrun's first instinct was to grab Cagalli and shielded her with his body. Breathing heavily, he found himself wondering…

'Who is the target?'

'Who is shooting?'

'Did he hit anyone?'

'Have Cagalli and I walked into a trap?'

When the shooting ceased, Athrun looked up, to try locating the shooter. Instead, his eyes landed on Quatre. The young man had shielded Dullindal with his body as well. Once the shooting stopped, the blonde looked up. His eyes, instead of wandering around the compound, were fixed on something at the top of a building. There was a strangely intense look that did not belong on his angelic porcelain face as he gripped tightly at the front of his shirt, where his chest was.

Suddenly without warning, Quatre took off. Too surprised, Athrun could only watch as he made a beeline towards the building. "Quatre!" he heard Dullindal shouted after his assistant. But the youth was already too far away. Dullindal picked himself up. By then, his soldiers were starting to move.

"Sir, we suggest that you and your guests evacuate the premise," an officer came over.

"What about my assistant?" Dullindal inquired, looking at where Quatre had disappeared to.

"I've sent five of my men after him. They'll protect him." If an assassin was still there, a mild-mannered chairman assistant would not be enough to stop him.

Athrun helped Cagalli up, watching the Chairman. Though distraught at having his assistant risking his life unnecessarily, the older man seemed well composed. "Chairman?" Cagalli looked at him, questioningly.

Dullindal stared at his guests before nodding to himself. "Come, we must leave."

Just as he said that, the alarm sounded and the earth shook as an explosion tore the whole base apart.

xxxXxxx

Quatre ran up the stairs, quicker than he thought possible. He didn't know how. He hadn't even seen anything but he was sure that the shots came from the top of this building. He was more certain of that than he was of his own life.

The pain in his chest was still there, urging him to go forward as his legs pumping up for speed and his lungs gasping for air. But Quatre would not let that stop him. He had to get to the shooter before he does anymore harm.

Then finally, he reached the last flight of stairs. Sprinting on, he pushed the door to the roof, forcing his eyes to adjust at the sudden assault of light before searching the sight before him.

He found no one. Not a single soul. In fact, everything was as it supposed to be… except for the discarded sniper gun lying on the floor.

He went to it, his eyes trailing the gun as if willing for the clues to jump up to him. But instead, his eyes landed on a smoking black spot on the ground next to the gun, as if something had burned there not long ago.

'What?' he frowned, his mind trying to make out what was going on. 'Where's the sniper?' he wondered. Suddenly, something tugged at his chest as a feeling of being watched sent shivers down his spine. Eyes widened, Quatre tried to figure out where the feeling came from.

Behind him!

He whirled around, wincing as the sun's direct light hit his eyes. But that was only for a moment because then he realized that he was staring at a dark figure standing above the roof, looking down on him.

'The assassin!' he concluded, squinting his eyes to get a better look. But whoever it was had his hand shielding his upper face so Quatre couldn't make out his features. However, his height told Quatre that the assassin appeared to be young.

Suddenly, the assassin was gone.

"Oh, no you don't!" Quatre took off after him, his jaw set. Nobody take a shot at the Chairman and escape.

Quatre chased the assassin to the other side of the building. By then, he knew that he had gotten the assassin. He was sure all the staircases were guarded and that the assassin would be cornered sooner or later.

It happened sooner. As he was running around a corner, Quatre saw the assassin stood at the edge of the building, staring down the fifty foot drop. "Got you now!"

Then to Quatre's utter horror, the assassin jumped off. Expecting a broken body with blood pooling on the ground, Quatre reached the edge and peered down on the ground below, only to find that there was no body!

"Impossible!"

"Mr. Winner!" a voice turned him around, as men in uniform appeared. Before the soldiers could get to him, there was a loud noise as the whole building shook violently, sending Quatre teetered dangerously to the edge of the building and open air!

xxxXxxx

For the second time in less than 10 minutes, Cagalli found herself on the ground again. This time, Athrun was shielding her from the falling debris that was caused by the explosion. A thought came to her. 'Was this the work of the assassin?'

However, the chaos that followed later told her otherwise. As Athrun helped her up, she could hear the sound of guns being fired, people shouting and screaming and more explosions. All of these were frighteningly similar to the scene that happened three years ago. 'It's an attack!' she finally realized with a start.

"Chairman!" a soldier ran up to them. Cagalli noticed that some of the soldiers stood protectively around the chairman. "Chairman! It's the new models. Someone is hijacking them," the soldier reported.

If the news of the assassin hadn't shocked the Chairman, this one did. Hell, it shocked Cagalli and Athrun just the same. 'New models?' she wondered, uncomprehendingly. In the background, they could hear the familiar sound of mobile suits battle.

Collecting himself, the Chairman gestured one of the soldiers over. "Get the princess and her escort to safety," he ordered, nodding at Cagalli and Athrun. "We can't involve them in this."

Just then, an unfamiliar mobile suit jumped into their sight. The black suit fired on a ZAKU before proceeding to destroy another storage hangar. Cagalli felt Athrun tensed as he stared at its design. It was then she realized something. The 'new models' were none other than…

"Gundams!"

Athrun nudged Cagalli out of her stupor, pulling her with him as they followed their guide. By then, the battle was escalating. Many of the ZAFT soldiers had reached their armors and weapons to stop their intruder.

As they made their way, both Athrun and Cagalli were surprised by the devastation that took place in such a short time. But unlike Cagalli, Athrun knew enough about Gundams to expect such heavy damages.

The ground shook again, nearly throwing them off their feet. Above them, another Gundam flew over, its engine searing through their eardrums. Athrun struggled to steady Cagalli as they continued running.

Suddenly, a warning sounded in his head. Without a word, Athrun dove inside a hangar, pulling Cagalli with him. Less than a second later, an explosion tore the ground that they were on, instantly killing their guide.

That left both of them without a guide and no idea where to go.

xxxXxxx

"Understood," Captain Talia Gladys of ZAFT Minerva said to the receiver before addressing her commander. He had rushed to the bridge earlier, reporting the attempt on the Chairman's life when the news of the intrusion reached them.

"Arthur! Send out Shinn, immediately," she ordered.

Her second-in-command nodded, whirling around to relay her orders. Talia frowned, biting her lower lips as she tried to comprehend the recent situation. An assassination attempt? And now an attack? Are those two related?

No answer came to her. But there was one thing she was certain, these two incidents were just the beginning of something even bigger. Whether or not it was to their advantage, she couldn't be sure.

xxxXxxx

He leapt up and over the fence as if it was a daily routine. His feet had barely touched the grass when the sound of an alarm, followed by an explosion reached him. Turning, he saw black smoke raised up to the skies. In the background, he could almost hear the sound of a battle.

His communicator buzzed. He answered it. "Status?"

"Mission accomplished."

Just then, another explosion caught his counterpart's attention. "What was that? Did you…"

"Another team has this base targeted," he answered, curtly.

"Right. Do a brief recon and then return."

"Roger."

As soon as he signed off, another explosion tore the base, this time too close for comfort. He turned to see the building that he was on was completely demolished. A strange pang filled him as he recalled a certain pair of cerulean blue eyes looking up at him. His pursuer.

For a moment, he debated with himself. Should he…

Then he regained his composure. Throwing a last look at the burning base, he started to walk away. 'I am not involved,' he thought, his mind was already appraising the capabilities of the three newly appeared Gundams.

xxxXxxx

It seemed as if they had been running forever. All around them, the base continued to burn, explosions continued to try sweeping them off their feet but Athrun and Cagalli continued to run.

'If only we knew where we're going,' Athrun found himself thinking. The only thought in his mind was to get Cagalli to safety. Even if it costs his life. But their every route was cut off by fallen debris and burning structures and every corner led them right back into the battlefield.

'Can't let her die in this place.'

'Can't let her die like this.'

'Can't let her die. Period.'

Just then, a green Zaku was thrown into their way. Using years of trained reflexes, Athrun grabbed Cagalli out of the way and shielded her with his body. Another explosion sent burning debris raining on top of them. Athrun hissed as a large chunk hit his back, just below his shoulder blades. Another hit the back of his head but he managed to keep himself from crying out.

"Athrun!" Cagalli turned to him when they were cleared. Her eyes looked at him with deep concern. He smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. I'm alright," he told her, helping her up. He had to clench his jaw when her weight put a strain on his injured back. He knew that that was not the time to be concerning over minor injuries. First things first, he had to get her to safety.

He was about to lead her back to where they came from when suddenly the new Gundam cut off their exit. The Gundam was battling another Zaku, the safety of the two civilians on ground was ignored.

Athrun almost screamed in frustration. It seemed that everywhere they go…

His eyes landed on the fallen green Zaku. A plan began to form in his mind. "Come on!" he said, pulling her towards the Zaku.

Cagalli followed him obediently. They stopped in front of the fallen Zaku, hesitating. When another explosion shook the ground, Cagalli saw Athrun's face hardened. She watched as he climbed up the Zaku.

"Athrun," she called out to him. He turned and reached out to her.

"Come," he said, his beautiful green eyes pleading for her faith in him.

She nodded and took his hand. She heard him grunt as he pulled her up. They climbed until they reached the cockpit. Again, Athrun hesitated, looking down at the empty cockpit.

His hands clenched, sealing the silent debate inside him. "Get in," he told her. Cagalli looked at him, to ask if he was alright. But before she could do so, he grabbed her and jumped into the cockpit. Inside, Cagalli watched as his nimble fingers ran expertly on the controls. In less than five seconds, he had the cockpit close, the screen on and the Zaku humming as it started to move.

"There is no way I'm going to let you die here," she heard him say. She was surprised to hear the strength of the conviction in his voice. 'Athrun,' she thought, watching him familiarized with the mobile suit. Although it had been two years since the war, his body and mind quickly adapted to the machinery.

Unfortunately, once the Zaku was onto its feet, it presented itself to be a target. Cagalli gasped when the black Gundam turned its attention to them. With a speed that only a Gundam could manage, it charged.

Despite of the inferiority of the suit, Athrun quickly jumped out of the way. The black Gundam was startled, seeing the impossible display of a lesser suit. But surprise quickly became anger; a feeling of disgust came over it at the thought of being defeated by a mere Zaku.

It charged again but Athrun deflected its blow. In his mind, Athrun worked on strategies to distract the Gundam long enough to break away from the fight and get Cagalli to safety. As much as he missed the excitement of being a pilot, he was more concerned over her well being.

Then something hit them as the Zaku was thrown back. Athrun yanked the throttle, biting his lips as the pain shot up his arm, and the Zaku sailed away to avoid another rain of bullets.

Once they were steady, Athrun and Cagalli found that their only weapon was destroyed and that the new black Gundam was joined by another green one. The feeling of dread washed over Cagalli as she turned to Athrun. Their being alive so far was attributed to Athrun's superior skills as a Gundam pilot and the former ace pilot of ZAFT. But now that a new Gundam had joined the fight and that they had just lost their weapon, it would take a miracle to get out of this alive!

Feeling her eyes on him, Athrun looked at her. The look of determination was still on his face. "Believe in me," he simply said and for a second, smiling at her reassuringly. Then, he turned his whole attention back to the two Gundams.

The two Gundams were charging at them. However, before the two of them could finish the Zaku off, before Athrun could execute the plan that had been forming in his mind, something fired on the Gundams, knocking them aside. Distracted, they looked up and saw a fighter swooping down for another attack.

'What?' Athrun thought, his eyes widened when the fighter suddenly changed shape. Something flew in synchronization with the fighter. And before their very eyes, the fighter combined with the metal chunks that flew with it and transformed into a…

"Gundam!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**AUTHOR REPLIES: **I know what you're all thinking. 'What is Quatre doing siding with Dullindal?' or 'Why Heero did not recognize Quatre?' or 'What is Heero doing on the rooftop, shooting at people?' or 'Where are the other Gundam pilots from Gundam Wing?' Don't worry. The others will be appearing soon. And things will just get better and less confusing for some people. All you need to do is stay tuned and keep reviewing because it helps in the morale department, you know, encouragement.

**Bladeofakira: **Thanks for the kind review. I don't know if I'll be altering much about the events in GSD, just adding some stuff so I could make the characters from Gundam Wing fit into the GSD universe. So, yes, there will be alterations but not as much as it would change the whole timeline. Heh! I don't want to be accused of ruining the whole thing !

**Ookami Kage: **Ahh! My loyal fan. You kept me alive. Many thanks. I haven't actually seen S-CRY-ed to know what you're referring to but now that you've caught my attention, I would give it a try. If only I know where I could find the dvd…

**Meh-ism: **Thanks for the encouragement. So here you go… on and on…

**Zammy:** Your wish is my command. Here's the update.

**Slightly Sinister Sinestra: **Here's the update. Thank you so much for reviewing.

Wow! Five reviews for only a short prologue. Hm… I wonder how many I will get for this full length chapter. Anyway, I'll be giving my attention now to my other fic 'Shattered Walls'. Hopefully I'll be back in two weeks time for the new chapter.


	3. Phase 02: A Call For Battle

**DISCLAIMER:** Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed Destiny are not mine (how I wish! ). Don't sue, it'll be a waste of money and time, which you can spend creating more Gundam series. 

**TIMELINE**: Happen throughout the Gundam Seed Destiny's events.

**WARNING: **Major spoilers! Especially for those who have not seen Destiny. So, there!

**PHASE 02: A CALL FOR BATTLE**

By Arayelle Lynn.

Caught by surprise, Athrun and Cagalli could only watch as the new Gundam placed itself between them and the enemy's Gundams. Both of them could hardly believe that the mobile armor had turned into a Gundam.

Athrun's breath caught as he watched the Gundams fought each other. He was torn in two. The soldier side of him was urging him forward, to even the score since the ZAFT pilot was facing two enemies. But his bodyguard side reminded him of his duty to keep Orb's Head of State, Cagalli Athha safe.

So, he forced down his anxiety and watched from the sideline.

**xxxXxxx**

Shinn gritted his teeth as he dodged another attack from the black Gundam. It was only moments ago that he was just strolling down the sidewalk in town with his best friend, Youlan, and now he was fighting an enemy that was determined to kill him and destroy what he held dear.

Holding back a curse, he charged at the enemy, brandishing his twin blade. His movement took his enemy by surprise but managed to dodge in the nick of time to narrowly missed Shinn's attack. But even then the black Gundam failed to stop Impulse's blade from making some damage on its shields.

His view screen flickered as Commander Arthur Trine appeared. "Hey, Shinn. Remember. We're ordered to capture the new models. Not destroy them."

Dodging another attack, Shinn bit his lips from cursing his officer. "Well, tell _that_ to them, will you? I'm doing as best as I can."

**xxxXxxx**

When he found himself falling, Quatre's body reacted, twisting itself using the momentum of his fall to swing himself back onto the edge of the building. Grunting, his body slammed on the floor, pain lancing through his shoulder which took heavier damage.

Footsteps made their way towards him as he pushed himself up. "Mr. Winner," voices called out to him as he brushed himself up.

"I'm fine," he told the soldiers. His attention was then drawn towards the battle, seeing the attacking mobile suits destroying the hangars and buildings surrounding them. A strange feeling came to him as his hand traveled back to his chest.

Eyes widened, Quatre turned to the soldiers. "We need to get out of here. Now!"

**xxxXxxx**

Dullindal watched the battle on the screen. He was impressed by the majestic battle each Gundams were exhibiting. And he was even more impressed seeing how good the enemy pilots were. Of course, he had known that the pilots were Naturals and knew who they belonged to. But he was not about to reveal to the world of the little fact yet. At least not until his own plan was put in motion.

Hearing someone calling his name, Dullindal knew that it was time to leave. But before he did, he spared another glance at the white Gundam, piloted by his own soldier, thinking, 'And so, it begins.'

**xxxXxxx**

Like Dullindal, Captain Talia Gladys of Minerva was watching the battle too. And like the chairman, she was deep in thought. However, what they were thinking distinguished the two. As she was watching the battle, her mind kept on playing on the assassination attempt and now this attack. She had not been totally surprised to find the enemy stealing their newest model. In fact, she was more concern over where the enemy would think of going next.

An inspiration hit her. Turning to one of her bridge crew, she ordered. "Run a thorough sweep on the perimeters surrounding this colony."

Arthur looked at her, surprised. "Ma'am?"

"If the enemy's plan was to steal our new mobile suits, then they must've had somebody waiting for them outside the colony."

Hearing the merit in her logic, the crewman scrambled to collect the data. What he discovered unnerved him. But before he could tell her, the whole colony shook. "They're here!"

**xxxXxxx**

8…

7…

6…

5…

4…

3…

Colonel Lorrnoke glanced at his watch, smiling. He knew that by then his three subordinates were already commencing phase one. When his watch hit zero, he gave the order to attack.

As his ship destroyed an unsuspecting ZAFT ship, he sat back watching his two mobile suits exited the launch pad to attack the colony. Their mission was to back up the Extended while his mission was to create as much chaos out there as he could.

'This is going to be so much fun.'

**xxxXxxx**

He watched the Doppelhorn Dagger Ls exited the hangar and onto the launch pad. His forest green eyes stared unblinkingly as the suits launched by the Colonel's commands. Making his way towards the window, he found himself unable to take his eyes away from the battle.

How he yearned to be out there.

How he wished he was out there.

He did not know how or why but he always felt as if his place was on the battlefield instead of the hangar. It was strange though since he was certain that he had never piloted a mobile suit or armor or fought a single soldier before.

Or so he remembered.

"Nanashi, quit gawking around. We have work to do!" his officer barked at him, breaking his thoughts. Automatically shutting off the nostalgic feeling in his mind, he turned around, his face impassive.

"I'm coming, sir."

**xxxXxxx**

Sting Oakley watched the battle between Gaia and the enemy's suit. His fingers were busy tapping the keyboard, determined to find any information on the new mobile suit. However, he found none. And no matter how deep he dug into the information database Neo had provided them, he could find nothing about the white mobile suit.

"Sting," Auel's voice crackled through the comm. system. He was done burning the base to the grounds when the battle that took place there attracted him. He too, watched, deeply impressed by the fierce battle before him.

"Can't find anything on the new guy," Sting told him, finally hitting the keyboard with his fist. Auel grimaced, hoping that his comrade had not damaged anything. They would not want to face the wrath of whiny engineers.

"Never mind that. What are your orders?" he waved away the boy's concern. Auel was eager to battle with the new suit himself.

Sting bit his lips, trying to put himself in Neo's shoes. What would _he_ have done? A minute later, a decision came to him. "Capture it."

Auel was startled. "What?" he had expected Sting to order him to destroy the suit.

"Capture the suit. We can't allow such force to be within ZAFT's ranks."

Nodding in understanding, Auel prepared himself for more fun. "Got it!"

Then the two of them joined the battle.

**xxxXxxx**

Both Athrun and Cagalli watched the battle unrolled before them. Both hardly made any move, each shocked by the ferocious display of violence projected by the two battling Gundams. It had been more than two years since the last war and still the violence never ceased to affect them.

In Cagalli's mind, the destruction of Orb military base and Heliopolis played repeatedly in her mind. In the last war, she had lost many she held dear. Her father, her friends, her people and her childhood. Now, with the battle escalating right before her very eyes she began to wonder if it was the start of a new war.

It was, something in her heart told her.

In Athrun's mind, everything was completely different. As he watched the battle, all kinds of emotions started to resurface, emotions that he had tried very hard to suppress. He felt pain, betrayal, sorrow and shame, all storming within his heart, threatening to overwhelm him.

And when the colony shook, Athrun couldn't stop the image of Heliopolis's destruction caused by him and his team more than two years ago. And that memory alone brought back an even more painful memory. The memory of him staring at the destruction of Junius Seven, which killed his mother and his father's heart.

All these played in his mind, threatening to form into a headache when suddenly, from the corner of his vision, he saw two more Gundams making its way towards their savior. Before he could warn him, the two Gundams attacked the ZAFT pilot.

Athrun gritted his teeth as he saw the four Gundams battled each other. Now, the battle was definitely not in the ZAFT pilot's favor since he was facing three Gundams all at the same time. Flexing his fingers on the throttle, Athrun glanced all around them, hoping to see some sort of back up for the ZAFT pilot. But all he could see was destruction everywhere!

Unable to control himself any longer, Athrun tapped a few keys on the controls. Cagalli looked on, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"That pilot isn't going to survive at this rate," he told her, making preparations. "Hang on." Without any warning to his passenger, Athrun began his attack.

"Athrun!" Cagalli yelled, when he brought the Zaku right in the middle of the furious battle. The Zaku blocked what might have been a devastating blow to the ZAFT mobile suit before firing its weapon on the attacking suit. His actions both surprised the enemy and the defender and Athrun could almost sense the gratitude that the ZAFT pilot sent him.

However, a battle between a Zaku and a superior mobile suit like the Gundams clearly showed the disadvantage and the vast differences between the two models. Before Athrun could brace himself for an attack, he found himself flying backwards. He bit his lips as the pain from his injuries threatened to overwhelm him.

He could not even swallow the gasp that escaped his lips as the Zaku hit the building behind them. Fighting back the swirling darkness, Athrun straightened himself up, ready to fight back should the enemy came at them for another pass when suddenly, Cagalli fell on his lap.

"Cagalli!" he cried out, seeing that she was unconscious. He looked at his hand that cradled her head and discovered that it was smeared with blood!

'What have I done?' he thought, shaking himself in guilt. 'I was supposed to protect her, not involve her in another war!'

Pushing back the guilt, he hugged her close in his lap and left the battlefield.

'Hold on, Cagalli. Please, hold on. I'll get you to safety.'

**xxxXxxx**

Quatre ran through the smoldering what-used-to-be-a-military-base-and-now-a-devastating-battlefield. His every route to safety was cut off by burning debris and exploding machineries. And he was beginning to think that he would never leave this place alive.

"Look out!" a voice said as he felt something bashed into him. He hit the ground in time to avoid a burst of flame originated from an exploding truck that was a few metres from him.

For a moment he laid there, wondering if he was still alive. His ears had not stopped ringing and he ached all over. Once he made sure that nothing was broken, he tried to pull himself up but something heavy prevented him to do so. Turning his head, he saw a ZAFT soldier lying on top of him.

Gently pushing the soldier off him, Quatre sat on the ground, examining the soldier's wounds. What he saw shocked him. Nearly 60 percent of his body was burned from the blast and there were chunks of burnt meat scattered around them. Blood was already pooling on the ground, soaking both him and the soldier.

"Are you alright, Mr. Winner?" the soldier asked him before _he_ could do so.

Quatre nodded in confirmation. "Hold on, I'll get you some help," he promised, trying to lift the soldier but when he screamed in pain, Quatre gently dropped him back down.

"No help for me. I'm as good as gone," he gasped, grateful for Quatre's concern.

The blond shook his head. "Don't say that. You'll be fine." But he knew that he was only lying to himself.

"Go on, Mr. Winner. Leave me. It's not safe for you to be here."

He looked at the soldier, aghast. Although the Chairman had sent five men to go after him for protection, four of them perished when the building exploded just as they were bolting out. Quatre had blamed himself for that. If he had followed the strange warning in his heart earlier, they would have been alive right now.

The soldier, as young as he was, grasped Quatre's arm in an attempt to make himself understood. "Please go, Mr. Winner. Save yourself."

"But you…"

The fatally-injured soldier interrupted Quatre's protests. His nails dug painfully in his arm. "I'm expendable, you're not."

Quatre was startled at that. Speechless, he could only stare at the soldier.

"Your presence is needed for the Chairman. We've all seen how important you are to him. So please, you can't die here."

Stifling the tears that were brimming in his eyes, Quatre nodded and set the soldier on the ground. The soldier smiled as he closed his eyes for the last time.

Another explosion shook Quatre out of his reverie. Pushing himself on his feet, Quatre gasped as pain shot up his right leg. Putting his weight on his right foot again, he felt the pain returned.

Frustration and pain nearly made him scream. But one look at the dead soldier calmed him. Determined to stay alive long enough, Quatre limped through the destruction. But this time, the pain in his heart weighed heavily than the pain in his twisted ankle.

**xxxXxxx**

Rey and Luna waited impatiently for their mobile suits to be cleared. During the attack, several debris had fallen on top of their Zakus, enabled them to get to their cockpit. Now, tapping their feet, they watched as the workers worked hard to lift the heavy concrete off their Zakus.

Rey turned his head towards where he heard the battle was taking place. He and Luna had been contacted by Captain Gladys to give assistance to Shinn since he was facing the enemy who had hijacked three new models. And Rey knew the capability of the young pilot as well as the new model that Shinn was piloting. No matter how good a pilot was, he could hardly take on three Gundams all at the same time.

Hearing the clashing sound of a metal hitting the floor, Rey turned in time to find out that his cockpit was cleared. Without waiting for them to finish, Rey shot up the Zaku, opened the door and jumped into the cockpit. His expert fingers ran across the keyboard, activating the Zaku.

When he had finally had his Zaku upright, Rey turned to the red Zaku next to him. "Lunamaria!" he called out through the speaker, warning them away. Then, he used his Zaku to wipe off the debris from Luna's suit.

"Thanks, Rey!" Luna called out, scrambling into her Zaku. Within minutes, she had her mobile suit ready to move.

"Come on, Shinn needs us."

**xxxXxxx**

Dullindal walked along the temporary command post. All around him, soldiers saluted him as he made his way to where the officer in charge was. The post was as chaotic as the battlefield itself but it was far quieter since they were a good distance away from the real fight.

Reaching the tent, he could hear the officer in charge barking his instructions, trying to bring order to chaos. When he saw PLANT chairman approaching, he straightened himself up. "Sir." He saluted.

Dullindal nodded. "The battle?"

"Still continuing. But this time, we're under attack from outside the colony as well."

"Casualty?"

The soldier winced. "We've lost contact with the general. We believe that the command center is destroyed by the intruder," he reported, indicating that he was the only one left in charge. Dullindal could see the strain of command showing in his eyes.

"And the Gundams?"

"Minerva has sent her own pilots after them."

Dullindal nodded. He knew the answer already but he needed to hear them. "Sir, I would like to suggest that you head for shelter. The battle is still going on and we don't want to lose more than we already have."

"I appreciate your concern, Commander but I'm not about to leave just because the battle got ugly."

His answer startled the soldier. Chewing his lower lip, he suggested. "Perhaps, you should head to Minerva. They'll be able to provide you with better shelter than here."

Dullindal considered the merit of his suggestion, and then nodded. "But what about my assistant? He's still out there."

"Sir!" a soft voice called out to him. They turned to see a tired-looking blonde limping towards them.

"Quatre!" the Chairman walked over to the young man.

Quatre looked at the Chairman, his eyes was filled with pain that was not physical. "Sir, I am so sorry."

Dullindal clamped a hand on his shoulder. "Later," he said, guiding the young man towards the four-wheel that was waiting for them.

"Where are we going?" Quatre inquired, looking confused.

"The Minerva."

**xxxXxxx**

Despite of there been three of them, it was still tough for them to capture this particular mobile suit. Sting had used every strategy he could think off but still the white mobile suit managed to elude them. And what more, the white suit seemed to be converging its attack on Stellar and despite her fluid movements, Sting could tell that she was getting tired.

"Damn! What does it take to bring the guy down?" Auel cursed from his mobile suit. "Hey, Sting. Are we still trying to capture the suit? Won't it be easier to just destroy him?"

The thought had crossed the green-haired mind. They were already long overdue from their rendezvous with Neo. But Sting knew that he cannot leave a loose strand behind. It was either capture it or destroy it. And since he knew that the white suit is not going to let them leave…

"Let's destroy it," he finally decided.

Auel whooped. "Now, you're talking!"

But before any of them could converge on the white suit, they were attacked from the side. Looking at his screen, Sting bit a curse. "Reinforcements!" he reported, seeing two white and red Zakus making their way into the battlefield. Auel glanced over and cursed.

Sting opened the channel to Gaia. "Stellar, break off. We have to go."

"No! I can handle him," she responded. There was a hint of madness in her voice. Sting grimaced. 'Not good.'

"Right. Then stay and _die_, Stellar," Auel sneered, shocking Sting with his words.

"Auel!" Sting warned but it was too late. The word had been uttered and Stellar's breathing quickened.

"Die? No! I don't want to die! No!" she screamed, taking off, startling the enemy's suit.

Auel glanced at Sting and shrugged. "At least, it worked." Sting set his jaw, promising to have a _long_ talk with the younger boy. They were not supposed to use the secret word at all. Those were Neo's orders.

**xxxXxxx**

Holding Cagalli gently in his arms, Athrun piloted the Zaku through the chaos. When they reached the temporary command post, his eyes scanned for the medical tent but found it too crowded. Doctors and nurses were working tirelessly on the seriously wounded ZAFT soldiers.

Trudging through the chaotic foray, Athrun wondered how he was going to find help when their meeting with the Chairman was kept a secret. If they were to disembark there, both Athrun and Cagalli would be taken prisoner and spend days in custody before Dullindal could vouch for them or worse, they could be identified as spies and be shot down by trigger-happy soldiers.

Shaking off the worst case scenario, Athrun decided that he was not going to find any help there. Suddenly, from his side screen, Athrun saw an image he recognized. Zooming in, he saw a four-wheel drive leaving the scene with Dullindal and Quatre on it! An inspiration hit him but before he could move to follow the jeep, Cagalli stirred.

"What happened?" she asked, wincing from the throbbing pain in her head. She found it hard to focus.

A wave of guilt swept over him, seeing the pain in her eyes. "You hit your head. I'm trying to get you some help."

Cagalli looked over the screen. "Where are we?"

"Safe," he answered curtly, unable to meet her eyes. "I am sorry, Cagalli. I let you get hurt."

Hearing the strange tone in his voice, she looked at him. "Athrun?"

"Don't worry. Rest now. From now on, your safety is my top priority."

**xxxXxxx**

In the eyes of the bridge crew, Colonel Neo seemed calm as he watched the battle unfolded before him. But judging from the way his fingers drumming the armrest of his seat, his second-in-command could guess that the colonel was actually losing his patience.

The Extended were late.

That means they were being delayed.

That could mean trouble.

Finally making his decision, the colonel rose from his seat. He turned to his subordinate. "I'm going out there. Keep the enemy distracted," he ordered, making his way towards the exit.

"Yes, sir," he acknowledge, turning to the comm. to inform the docking crew to prep the colonel's mobile armor.

**xxxXxxx**

Neo Lorrnoke practically ran to the docking bay. The thought of going into battle excited him even more than the day he was commissioned as colonel. It had been a long while since he had had a good battle and something told him that things were going to be a lot interesting.

The docking bay was bursting with activities. Engineers and mechanics alike, were running around, fixing, prepping, compensating and improvising to keep the ship and her pilots in top form to continue the battle. Watching them working so hard, Neo felt a sense of pride for his specially hand-picked crew.

Spotting his mobile armor a few feet away, he made a beeline towards it. The mobile armor, TS-MA4F Exus, was already on the launching pad, thanks to the young man coming out from its cockpit. He landed on the floor, holding out the helmet for Neo.

"Thank you, Nanashi," Neo greeted the young man, putting a hand on his shoulder. For a moment, Neo searched his emotionless green eyes, one eye well-hidden behind his bangs that covered half his face.

The young man met his eyes evenly. "You're welcome, sir," he said, though his voice contained nothing akin to emotion. Neo sighed, gripping the boy's shoulder. Then, he climbed up his mobile armor.

He listened as the launch controller went through the launching procedure. Then, when the lights on his control panel turned from red to green, Neo pulled the throttle and he was on his way out.

Only then a strange pang hit him.

**xxxXxxx**

Rey bit back a gasp when a strange feeling overwhelmed him. Then, as suddenly as the feeling came, it was gone. But he knew that it was there, somewhere _out_ there. However, the matters at hand forced him to bury the feeling and concentrate on the three stolen models.

Immediately after the new Gundams took off, Shinn, Luna and him followed them. What had been a fierce battle before on ground had turned into a mad chase in the skies as the three ZAFT pilots struggled to recapture the stolen suits. The only difference was the enemies were more adamant about getting out of the colony than actually fighting them.

Then somewhere in between the chase, Luna's engine blew, a damage she acquired probably from before entering the battlefield. She had insisted in staying but he had convinced her to return to Minerva for repair. It would be too dangerous for her to continue but he did run a quick check on his own suit just to make sure.

Shaking off the distractions, Rey looked up the screen only to see the black Gundam blasting away at the colony's wall.

**xxxXxxx**

"Have we got through the center command yet?" Captain Gladys inquired, taking her eyes from the screen. The bridge, though busy, were still in a state of order as the crew scrambled to man their stations and prepared for their unscheduled launch.

"Not yet," the comm. officer answered.

Before she could say a thing, the door slid open and coming in was the one person she had never expected to come at a time like this. "Chairman!" she rose to her feet. Behind her, Arthur stiffened and saluted, followed by the other crew.

"Talia," the chairman called her by her name. "I'm sorry to have to trouble you but it seems that I have nowhere safe to go," he said this almost apologetically.

She almost smiled at the sheepish look on his handsome face. But remembering her station, she gestured at the empty seats. "Make yourself comfortable, Chairman," she said, as the chairman and a golden-haired youth each took a seat. Gladys took in the young man's dirty appearance for a minute but before she could start wondering, the comm. beeped.

It was Shinn.

"Meyrin! I need the Silhouette now!"

Startled by the events around her, it took Meyrin Hawke a few seconds to register what Shinn had asked from her. Then, she quickly relay his orders to the docking crew. Behind her, Gladys noticed the young man shifted but was shushed by Dullindal quietly.

Like years before, she began to wonder what was on the man's mind.

**xxxXxxx**

"What in hell…?" Sting heard Auel cursed, verbally expressing what he was feeling right then as they watched the enemy Gundam transformed again when another part came flying in. Only this time, instead of the large blade, the Gundam was brandishing a large cannon.

Images ran wildly on his screen as Sting scanned the new weapon. What he saw only made his frown deepened. The cannon is powerful enough to destroy a suit!

Cursing the Coordinators, Sting turned to the other screen, seeing that the white Gundam was now targeting Stellar who was blasting at the colony's walls. He watched as she narrowly dodged the blow, trying unsuccessfully to shake off the enemy's suit.

Seeing that his teammate was in need of help, Sting maneuvered his own Gundam to enter the fight, only to be interrupted by the white mobile suit. Personally, Sting was getting rather annoyed by the white Zaku's interference. But unlike the other Zakus, this one was being piloted by yet another capable pilot.

"Sting, we're running late!" Auel reminded him, firing at the Zaku.

He almost rolled his eyes at the obvious statement. "I know that!" he gritted his teeth. "Let's blow this joint," he said, readying all his firepower. Auel must have read his mind because together, they fired at the wall, exactly at the same spot, piercing a hole large enough for their suits to escape through.

**xxxXxxx**

Athrun eased the Zaku gently into the docking bay. Without waiting for the suit to properly power down, he unstrapped himself, opened the hatch and helped Cagalli down the grappling line. Upon reaching the ground, Cagalli almost stumbled but Athrun's strong arms were ready to support her. Looking concernedly at her, Athrun took in the paleness of her face and the way her hands shook when they massaged her pounding head. It made Athrun felt guilty all over again.

'I caused her this.'

It was then he realized the strange silence in the otherwise supposed-to-be-busy docking bay. He looked up only to see that they were being surrounded by a troop of ZAFT soldiers, all pointing their guns at them.

Pushing Cagalli behind him to shield her from anymore harm, Athrun's eyes narrowed as a girl in a ZAFT red uniform stepped out. She looked at them suspiciously, her gun trained unwaveringly at them.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

Moving slowly as to not agitate any trigger-happy soldier, Athrun answered. "I am Alex Dino and this is Orb's Chief of State, Cagalli Yula Attha. We were on a secret meeting with the Chairman when we were caught in the battle." When he heard Cagalli hissed in pain, Athrun looked imploringly at the girl. "Please, she is hurt. We only want some medical attention."

**xxxXxxx**

"Alright, we have no other choice," she finally declared. "It's either that the communication network isn't working or that the center command has been destroyed."

Her declaration surprised the crew. "Arthur, tell the crewmember to ready for launch. We're going to support the battle outside," she ordered. The commander nodded and started relaying orders all around. Gladys turned to her two guests. "Chairman, it would be wise for you to disembark now. I don't know how long we'll be in this battle."

But the chairman shook his head. "It's okay, captain. I want to be here."

"Are you sure?" she found herself asking. She was surprised by his refusal.

Dullindal nodded, smiling at the young man sitting beside him. "Yes, it would be an interesting experience for me and my young assistant here." He turned to her. "I hope it won't trouble you by much."

Not having enough time or energy to continue to dissuade the chairman, Gladys turned to the rest of her crew.

**xxxXxxx**

Neo saw the new Gundam the second the three he had sent to steal broke away from the colony. Seeing the white Gundam chasing the already too far away new suits, Neo smiled to himself.

"Looks like there is an error in my Intelligence after all," he said to himself, reminding himself to have a _long_ serious conversation with the spy he had planted in ZAFT. "But what do I do to remedy that?"

**xxxXxxx**

"Incoming!" one of the docking crew yelled to the chief. They watched in awe as the three new mobile suits landed in the docking bay. As soon as the landing procedures were complete, Chief Engineer Will Curtis barked for his crew to take actions.

Nanashi watched as the cockpit opened to reveal an excited-looking Auel, who jumped down the suit as if he had done it every day. The blue-haired boy then came over to him. "Nanashi, look what we have brought home! New toys!"

But instead of acknowledging the new Gundams, the tall young man was more concerned looking at the still unresponsive black Gundam. He heard rather than saw Sting calling for medic. Frowning, Nanashi leapt up to the black Gundam and opened the cockpit. He was surprised to find Stellar shaking inside her cockpit.

"I don't want to die! I don't want to die," she repeatedly whispered, her arms around her shoulders as if trying to keep herself from freezing. Instantly, Nanashi knew what had happened. And what to do.

"Stellar," he called to her gently. It was not a good idea to touch her when she was in this state. That, he had learned a long time ago. "Stellar, it's okay. I'm here, you're not going to die."

"Don't want to die, don't want to die."

He reached out a hand. "You're not going to. I'm here. I will protect you. It's alright."

Then, her clouded eyes began to focus. She looked past his outstretched hand and into his eyes. "Nanashi?" her voice squeaked, finally noticing him.

"It's me, Stellar."

Then, like before, the blond girl flung herself into his arms. He stroked her golden hair softly, saying, "You're safe now, everything's going to be alright." He gently lifted her up and guided both of them down. Then, when she was finally relaxed, someone took her away.

Nanashi watched as the medical team guided the three pilots out to the waiting room. He could feel the team's suspicious gaze on him. Then, he was alone.

**xxxXxxx**

"Condition yellow, condition yellow. All hands man your stations!" the voice of a female crew broke through the blaring sound of the klaxon, adding to the chaos on the ship. Athrun stepped aside in time to avoid collision with a ZAFT crewman running from the opposite side. Beside him, Cagalli drew closer to him.

Athrun looked at the red-haired soldier who was escorting them to the infirmary. Her face was taut, her shoulders tensed and her eyes and ears were alert, as if gauging the condition of the battle outside and beyond. He could tell that she was displeased by something that she could not help.

Then, the floor beneath him rumbled as Athrun felt a familiar sensation that he had not had for a long time. He glanced at Cagalli before asking the ZAFT pilot. "We're launching? Are we going into battle?"

Cagalli was so startled by his words, she could not stop the word that left her lips. "Athrun!"

The female pilot looked at both of them, slightly mystified by Athrun's familiarity of the military procedures as well as the name that was uttered by the head of Orb. Her eyes narrowed as she realized that there were more to the two than meets the eye.

**xxxXxxx**

In outer space, Colonel Neo finally made his decision. "I must capture this new model," he decided, watching the white mobile suit scanning the area. "It would've made a big impact on ZAFT and would help greatly in our plan to get rid of the Coordinators." This he said with a strong certainty.

Yanking the throttle back, Neo came at the enemy's suit weapons all ready.

**xxxXxxx**

At the outer layer of the colony, a great big door opened. From the hangar's dark interior, a space ship slowly moved out. Although she was a day shy from her actual official launch and field commission, her captain deemed her ready to join her first battle.

Her name was Minerva.

Named after an ancient goddess.

In Roman, she was the goddess of handicrafts.

In Greek, she was identified as Athena, the goddess of war.

And in war, she shall prevail.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**AUTHOR REPLIES: **Finally, an update! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's not really to my liking since I kind of rush it to meet my own deadline. Next update shall be after I'm done with the next chapter of "Shattered Walls". My guess would be some time in August. Hope this time I won't have to rush things.

For those who have been following Gundam Wing, you've probably guessed who "Nanashi" should be. In the GW english manga he is called "No Name" but since I find that hardly a name, I decided to use the Japanese translation instead. At least, it _sounded_ like a name. And for those who had no idea who "Nanashi" is, then you'll have to wait for the later chapter. Ha..ha..

Oh, replies!

**OokamiKage: **Thank you for your continuing support. I mostly derived my encouragement from your feedbacks, both for "Wings of Destiny" and "Shattered Walls". Arigatou. Yes, there will be more of the boys, just you wait. And yeah, if I were in the Seed universe and had to face Dullindal in a debate, I'd be tongue-tied. As it is, I always see him as one who could look through a person's soul. Just like Treize Khushrenada. Both of them have very sweet tongue but there's something sinister in their eyes.

**Neo-Magna: **Actually Cagalli said it too, I checked. And I'm assuming since Athrun has been with Kira and the others for a time, he would be calling a Gundam, a Gundam. Anyway, it's hard for me to be too accurate about everything. Else, nothing would be finished and you guys would have to wait months for an update. So please, bear with some of the small inconsistencies. And thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear you like it.

**Zammy**: You're awesome too! Thanks so much for the review.

**Issamalv: **Wait no more! Here's an update. I hope you like it.

**Wolven Spirits:** Thank you so much for the constructive review. Glad to know my writing style is acceptable. And I hope I'll continue to please you with the later chapters.

I just want to know something. Is it okay for me to collect all reviews and reply them in the next updates? Or you guys would prefer me give an instant review reply? Personally, I'd prefer to collect them all and reply in new chapters, save time that way. What about you?


	4. Phase 03: The Ominuous Battle

**DISCLAIMER:** Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed Destiny are not mine (how I wish:-( ). Don't sue, it'll be a waste of money and time, which you can spend creating more Gundam series. :-)

**TIMELINE**: Happen throughout the Gundam Seed Destiny's events.

**WARNING: **Major spoilers!!! Especially for those who have not seen Destiny. So, there!

**PHASE 03: OMINUOUS GUNFIRE**

By Arayelle Lynn.

The second Shinn engaged the red mobile armor; he knew that he had just made a serious mistake. Judging by the ferocity of the attacks and its series of complicated maneuvers, Shinn figured that he was dealing with someone with a superior skill. The enemy pilot executed attacks after attacks, not even sparing Shinn a moment of reprieve. As he tried to fruitlessly dodge the advances, Shin had a nagging feeling that his first commission could be his last!

"Shinn!" a familiar voice crackled over the comm. as a white Zaku made a very timely appearance. It immediately engaged the MA, giving Shinn the much-needed room to breathe.

"Rey!" he called out, seeing his friend's handsome face on the screen. He wanted to say more but there was a strange expression on the blonde's feature. A little frown that was unusual on his otherwise stoic face. It's either Rey was finding it hard to match the enemy or he was distracted by something.

Suddenly a flash of weapon's fire reminded Shinn that he was still in the battlefield. He dodged away from its line of fire and tried to disable the Gunbarrel but missed. Another Gunbarrel fired at him, almost hitting him in the rear. Shinn tried to destroy it but like its brethren, it moved too fast!

Gritting his teeth out of frustration, Shinn tried to once again disable the little cannons that seemed to be surrounding him like annoying flies but only succeeded in avoiding getting hit. He spared a glance towards the other battle. He was surprised to see how well the enemy engaged Rey, without losing a single control over his Gunbarrels. But unlike before, this time the enemy seemed to be more than determined to destroy the Zaku. And he's using the Gunbarrels to stop Shinn from backing up Rey and keep him in place. The enemy pilot had successfully kept both boys trapped!

'What could he be thinking?' Shinn wondered as he tried another strategy. He tried to break away from the battlefield but the Gunbarrels drove him back, forcing him to stand his ground. A thought came to him then. 'He must b planning to capture Impulse as well!' He set his jaw. 'Not if I could help it.'

**xxxXxxx**

"We're approaching the battlefield," the helm officer announced. On the screen, the battle between Impulse, Zaku and the enemy's MA continued. They stared at the screen, momentarily awed by the spectacular dance.

From the corner of his eyes, Dullindal saw Quatre shifted. There was a look of open confusion in his eyes.

"Captain, we've spotted a ship!" the sensors officer announced. The screen flickered to show an unidentified ship not far away. Captain Gladys waited for him to continue, staring at the enemy's ship intently. "I can't find anything on the ship. It's unlisted. Not even a registration number."

'Damn! The Federation is getting clever,' she thought. 'Using a new and unregistered spaceship to avoid a global incident.' She spared a glance at Dullindal, who nodded back.

"Prepare for battle," she announced, noticing Dullindal's PA gave him a startled look. "Our target is the unidentified ship. We must stop it before it escape with the new models. From now on, we will refer that ship as Bogey-1." She turned to her second-in-command. "Arthur, move!"

The young man snapped into attention and scrambled to his seat, issuing commands. Within seconds, Minerva was heading straight for her first battle.

**xxxXxxx**

When Neo Lorrnoke saw the new ZAFT ship heading for his, he forced himself to abandon his hope in capturing the new white model. Disengaging himself from the enemy's Zaku, he flew back to Girty Lue at about the same time the two ZAFT mobile suits were recalled back to their ship. Once he landed, he jumped out of Exus, clapped Nanashi's shoulder before making his way back to the bridge. The ship shook, nearly threw him off balance as he reached his seat. "Let's retreat. We've gotten what we came for."

The ship shook again. Neo gripped his seat to keep his balance. The enemy's ship was getting surprisingly nearer and soon will be able to outrun them unless they do something. And fast.

An inspiration hit him. "Release the reserve fuel tank," he ordered, earning surprised looks from the crew.

"Sir?"

"Just do it," his second-in-command said, finally catching on. He turned to another bridge crew, "Ready the rear cannon. Target the reserve tanks."

"Aye, sir."

"Helm, get ready to get us out. Maximum speed, on my mark."

"Aye."

"Now, Ensign."

The tanks were released just as the enemy came within range. Neo watched the tanks floated towards the white ship. 'Lieutenant?'

"Target locked."

He waited a few heartbeats. "Fire!" The tanks exploded upon impact. "Helm!" The ship's pilot powered up the vessel, narrowingly missing the shockwave. The enemy's ship wasn't as lucky as the explosion hit them full in the face. Neo smiled as they widened their distance.

**xxxXxxx**

Alarms blared, adding more confusion to the already chaotic situation. Fires and smoke were every where as the crew struggled to put them out. On the bridge, Talia Gladys listened calmly as the damage report kept coming. Her eyes never left the image of the enemy's ship, now too far away.

"Maintain pursuit," she told her helmsman. She was not going to give up. But something held her back. "Mr. Chairman…" she began.

"Don't worry about my safety. Do what you need to do. Our top priority is to capture the enemy's ship and recover the stolen models." Dullindal interrupted.

Capt. Gladys nodded, seeing a new addition to the bridge. "Rey, please escort the chairman and his assistant to the officer's quarters." The golden-haired pilot nodded in obedience. Gladys turned. "Arthur, began repairs. I want the ship to be ready for the next round." Just as she said the screen flickered, revealing Lunamaria Hawke's pretty face.

She saluted. "Captain, I apologize if my report seemed long overdue but I was delayed," she said, her expression betrayed more than her words.

Capt. Gladys nodded. "Go on," she prompted.

"I have apprehended two intruders who entered the docking bay just before we launched. They claimed to be the chairman's guests from the Orb Union, Prime Minister Cagalli Yula Attha and her aide Alex Dino."

Quatre shot out of his seat while Dullindal and Capt. Gladys exchanged surprise glances. There was a murmur of surprise among the bridge crew as they comprehended the situation. Recovering, Capt. Gladys responded. "Escort them to the officer's quarters. The chairman and I will meet you there."

Luna nodded. Capt. Gladys turned to Dullindal, her eyes questioning him this latest development. "Shall we, sir?" she said, gesturing him to the door.

**xxxXxxx**

He was polishing his gun when he heard the sound. He perked up, dropping the rag onto the floor. He strained his ears, his finger hitting the table light, plunging the room into darkness.

There. It came from the windows. For a moment he debated whether or not he should warn his partner, who was in the shower. But when he heard the sound again, this time nearer, he knew that he would just give himself away.

So, grabbing the half-emptied clip, he slipped it back into his gun and silently tip-toed towards the windows. He leaned against the wall and peered outside. Sure enough, a silhouette of a man was climbing stealthily up the fire escape.

Gently cocking the gun, he took aim as the intruder started to climb in. He fingered the trigger, his eyes squinting to make out the intruder's face but before he could do anything, the intruder vanished!

A hand shot out from his left, grabbing his arm. He only managed a cry of surprise before he was spun around, his arm was twisted behind his back. The intruder slammed him against the wall, yanking the gun from his now numbed fingers. He grunted when he was thrown to the floor.

All of these happened so quickly that it took him a moment to realize that it was over.

The intruder towered over him. The borrowed gun was aimed steadily at his owner. He could only glared defiantly back at the intruder's cold and hard Prussian blue eyes.

Wait a minute! Prussian blue eyes?

"What the heck are you doing?" the intruder demanded. Almost at the same time, another voice, a female, barked. "What the hell is going on with you two?" She threw on the switch, flooding the room with light.

He blinked from this second assault. "Yuy? Geez. What the hell were you doing scaring the life out of me?" he asked, picking himself off the floor.

In his part, Yuy kept the gun trained on him. The suspicious look never left his face. "What are you doing?" he repeated the question, monotonously.

"Trying to stop an intruder," he answered, wincing as he rotated his bruised wrist. "Couldn't you just use the front door instead?" he complained, bitter at also having his pride bruised by a mere kid.

Yuy gave him an unreadable look before detaching the clip and throw the gun back at him with a "hn…". He then walked off to their work station. "Hey, aren't you even going to apologize?"

"He doesn't have to, Murphy," their female counterpart answered, grabbing a brush to comb her damp orange hair. "You should've known that he'll be using the fire escape as his means of entry and exit for the duration of this mission." She shrugged. "Besides, what's the point of him hiding his identity if he was going to announce it to the world by walking through the front door?"

Murphy grinned at her. "Oh, yeah. That's right." He whispered conspiratorially to her. "He isn't supposed to be here."

The woman watched as Yuy slipped out of his technician disguise, leaving on a green tank top and a pair of jeans. "I trust I don't have to ask if you were followed?" she wandered, casually brushing her hair.

Yuy spared her a glance before responding. "Hn…"

"So, what happened back there?" Murphy questioned, as Yuy booted up the computer.

"The base was under attacked."

Murphy rolled his eyes. "We sort of figured _that_ out ourselves. By who?"

Yuy paused, deep in thought. "Unknown," he finally answered, starting to type on the keyboard. "There weren't enough distinctive marks to make an ID."

"Hmm… most probably those idiotic Federation people. Everyone knows that ZAFT was up to something," Murphy interrupted.

"You can't make such assumptions."

The woman shushed Murphy. "Tell me what you saw."

Yuy stopped typing, turning to face her. "Four new models."

"Gundams?"

He nodded. "Apparently. Three were stolen and the other is commissioned to the new battleship, Minerva."

"And the Chairman?"

"He doesn't seem so surprised. And I believe he's on Minerva."

The woman thought for a little while. "Looks like he's eager to see his new toys in action." When she heard Yuy continued tapping the keyboard, she looked up. "I take it that you're going to report this to the boss?"

"Only after I completed my analysis."

"Well, make sure you don't stay up too late. You still have to go to your other life by morning."

"Roger." With that, he continued hacking into ZAFT Intel files.

**xxxXxxx**

"How are they doing?" Colonel Neo questioned as he studied the sleeping Extended.

The chief physician glanced at his reports. "Not bad for their first mission," he answered, skipping the medical terms since the colonel hardly had any tolerance for it. "There were some disturbing results from the female subject's brain activity. It appears that one of the boys have used the trigger code on her during battle."

Neo sighed. "Auel," he guessed, knowing Sting to be responsible enough not to endanger a fellow comrade like that.

The physician nodded. "We're dealing with that. My assistant will start the removal procedure in a minute."

Neo nodded. "Keep me informed."

**xxxXxxx**

"Please accept my apologies, Prime Minister Athha. We didn't mean to involve you in the conflict," Dullindal apologized once they were seated. As usual, Alex Dino stood behind Cagalli Yula Athha and Captain Talia Gladys and Quatre Winner stood behind the Chairmain.

Orb's head of state shook her head. "Never mind, what's done is done. The more important thing is we must do everything to maintain peace," she said, evenly. "You can expect Orb's full cooperation to apprehend this situation."

Her last words not only shocked her aide but Dullindal's assistant as well. The chairman just smiled gratefully at her. "That's a very generous offer, minister. Perhaps this could strengthen our friendship." He felt Quatre move to interrupt but Capt. Glady's stopped him in time.

"Anyway, why don't I take you on a tour around the ship," he said, this time his words shocked Capt. Gladys. "It seems that you two are going to be here for a while so you might as well get familiar with your surroundings," he continued, giving Capt. Gladys a knowing look. "Don't you think so, Captain?"

Capt. Gladys sighed, nodding. She knew that nothing she said could persuade the chairman to do otherwise. The heads of two nations stood up and walked over to the exit. But before Dullindal crossed over the threshold, he spared a critical look at his assistant. "Stay here, Quatre until I return," he instructed, before turning to Capt. Gladys. "Could you send someone over to tend to Mr. Winner's injuries? No matter how hard he tried to hide it, I think he has sprained his ankle." He gave Quatre a look that said he would not appreciate any objections.

In his part, Quatre shied away from the concern looks from the others. When the door slid close, he slumped tiredly onto the sofa. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

**xxxXxxx**

"Gundam Chaos, Abyss and Gaia. What magnificent machines," Neo voiced in awe as he read through the specifications. "Once again, ZAFT outdone themselves," he commented, recalling all the impressive mobile suits created and produced by the Coordinator army.

"Will Curtis said to inform you that he'll have the full specs within the hour."

Neo chuckled. "Remind me to thank the chief engineer, major. He and his team are working so hard for us."

"I did. Only he said that the gratitude belongs to our young John Doe."

"Nanashi?"

The ship's captain, Ian Lee, nodded. "Said the kid had been a huge help to his team."

"So, I was right in keeping him here with us," Neo threw back as they walked into sickbay.

His subordinate hesitated before responding, "You are but I do think that not all of us are especially thrilled about having him here." He nodded at the approaching chief physician.

Neo turned. "Dr. Kimball?"

"I've just released the subjects, as you can see," he said, gesturing at the viewing glass. The three of them watched as Sting and Auel stood protectively over the yawning Stellar. "The procedure went well. The female subject has no recollection of the little incident," the doctor continued.

The three Extended make their way towards the exit. The door automatically opened, revealing a tall young man waiting at the other side. The three men heard Stellar squealed in delight as she threw herself into the young man's arms and the other two boys bounded towards the couple. Then the three began to talk excitedly to the older boy.

Seeing that, the doctor snorted and turned away. "Is there a problem, doctor?" Colonel Neo asked, seeing his disgusted look. The doctor dropped the disgusted look and straightened himself.

"Sorry, colonel. I'm just wondering why in the world the street rat is doing here. And why won't you let me erased their memories of him. He could jeopardize the whole experiments."

The colonel smiled. "Well, for one, our resident chief engineer thinks highly of the 'street rat' and two, I don't see the point in segregating the four of them. The Extended seems to function even better when he's around," he said, watching Stellar pulling the stoic Nanashi with her while Sting and Auel followed after them.

**xxxXxxx**

The repairs were just finishing by the time Shinn took a breather. He tossed the wrench to the floor and wiped his greasy hands. The chief mechanic had tried to tell him to leave the repairs to his team and rest but Shinn felt he was too jumpy to keep still.

Well that and the fact that he needed to keep his eye on something.

A female voice tore his gaze from the unknown Zaku. He watched as Luna observed the repairs on her mobile suits. Her suit had suffered tremendous damage and it will take the repair crew the whole night to return to its original state.

Rey was there as well, supervising the repairs of his own suit. But he was not the person Shinn wanted to talk to now.

"Hey, Luna," he called out. The red-head looked up. Spotting him, she made her way up. She saw Shinn looking curiously at the green Zaku. "Who piloted that thing?" he asked, recognized the suit that assisted him in his battle with the new models.

"You mean that?" she confirmed, noticing a couple of mechanics repairing the new addition. "The Orb's minister's bodyguard piloted it," she answered, unaware of Shinn's surprised look. She searched her memory. "What was his name? Oh, Alex Dino!" Then she winked. "But the funny this is, I heard the Orb's prime minister called him Athrun."

Before he could ask her any further. A couple of familiar voices attracted his attention. He looked up to see Capt. Gladys and the Chairman of PLANT, Gilbert Dullindal walking in with Orb's Prime Minister, Cagalli Yula Athha.

The very sight of her invoked an unpleasant feeling which had been buried deep inside him. He listened to their conversation. The Chairman was showing her Impulse, proudly informing her how the new model had fared in its first battle. As he spoke, his eyes never ceased to watch her as if gauging her reaction. In her part, the Orb's head of state expressed her disapproval at seeing the mobile suit, telling the others how the incident earlier had proven her point that they do not need weapons.

Her words made Shinn seethed in anger. How dare she? How dare she sprout words such as peace and harmony when she herself had caused the death of many? His fist tightened. Just like an Attha to sugarcoat their words for their own goal!

When all eyes turned towards him, Shinn realized that he had just expressed his words out loud. However, he was too riled up to watch his mouth. "You are a hypocrite, Ms. Attha," he pronounced her name loathingly. "You and your father are hypocrites!"

Before Capt. Gladys could chide him for his insubordination, the klaxon wailed. Meyrin's voice echoed throughout the ships, insisting for Capt. Gladys' undivided attention. Shinn stared long and hard at the Orb's leader before feeling Rey and Luna tugged him into the ready room.

**xxxXxxx**

Dullindal watched the shocked expression on Attha's face as she stared at the retreating young pilot's back. The Orb's head of state paled, her whole frame shook as she tried to digest what had been said about her and her late father. The man who had literally sacrificed his life for Orb!

Next to her, Alex had stiffened as well. But he recovered quicker and was whispering a word of comfort to his employer. A curious look had replaced his shocked one but there was also a tinge of anger flashing from his emerald green eyes. All of these Dullindal observed with deep interest.

Then he dropped the 'bomb'.

"It's funny that he should say that," he began, drawing the two's attention. "That boy is actually part of the reason you're here." The Orb representatives looked at him questioningly. "Shinn Asuka is actually _from_ Orb!"

Again, the shocked look returned to their faces.

**xxxXxxx**

"Status," Neo demanded as soon as he was seated.

"The enemy has found us," the sensors officer reported, displaying the ZAFT ship that had been pursuing them since their departure from PLANT. After spending a few hours studying the enemy's ship capabilities, Neo was not surprised that the ship had caught up with them so quickly.

Suddenly, he felt tired of the chase.

"Helm, take us into the asteroid belt," he commanded, drawing surprised look from his bridge crew. Only his second-in-command gave him and understanding glance.

"You heard the colonel," he supported his commanding officer, as the helmsman scrambled to set course.

"Let's destroy the enemy once and for all."

**xxxXxxx**

"…we must capture the enemy before they enter the asteroid belt," the voice of Capt. Glady's reached their ears as soon as the door opened with a whoosh. Dullindal saw her giving them a surprised look as she stared questioningly at him.

"Don't mind them, captain," said the chairman smoothly. "Minister Attha used to lead her soldiers in battle during the last war. Perhaps she could give us a few suggestions to assist us in our current situation."

The captain backed down, knowing she needed the time to prepare for the battle, not battling a fruitless argument with a politician. So she allowed the two Orb citizens to take up the empty seats behind her while the chairman occupied the third one.

Then the door swished open again, revealing an anxious Quatre Winner. Upon seeing him, Dullindal shot him a disapproval look. "Are we going back into battle?" the blonde young man asked, addressing everyone.

Capt. Gladys swallowed a curse as she ordered Commander Trine to assist the limping PA onto the remaining seat. She then tuned out the presence of the quartet behind her to concentrate on the coming battle.

"We're too late, captain. We've lost them in the belt," the sensors officer reported, unable to sort through the magnetic fields. Capt. Gladys bit her lips before coming to a decision.

"Keep trying," she said, turning to her second-in-command. "Arthur, get Luna, Shinn and Rey ready for launch. Since we can't locate the enemy, it's up to them to find the ship for us."

Commander Trine nodded and began issuing orders.

**xxxXxxx**

Nanashi watched as the three Extended slipped into their flight suits. The three were silent, as they usually were whenever the order for battle was issued. It was as if the call for arms had switched off the lively side of them. Now they were acting like machines, ready to destroy anyone that they had been ordered to.

He hung back while the three made their way towards the new mobile suits. As usual. He had learned long time ago that it was not a good idea to engage them when they were in this mode.

Not that he wanted to anyway. Strangely, whenever the klaxon sounded, he also found some part of him was switched off. And he found himself all over the place to ensure the efficiency of everything that he could get his hands on.

As he rechecked a Doppelhorn Dagger Ls' power converter, he spared a short glance at the three as they launched.

**xxxXxxx**

"I wonder what her real name," Dullindal suddenly said, drawing the attention of everyone on the bridge. In his part, the chairman kept his eyes on the screen, watching Impulse and the two Zakus leaving the ship.

"We called the enemy's ship Bogey-1. But she must have a proper name," he wondered. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He almost smiled. "You know, a name represent the existence of something. But if the name is false, does that mean its existence is false too?"

He turned, his eyes staring directly at Alex Dino. "What do you say to that, Athrun Zala?"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Author's Note:** This chap was supposed to be out a looo…ng time ago. But I lost my Seed Destiny's dvd collection 1 so I couldn't finish it in time. And the video store is out of stock! (Note the lack of original dialogues towards the end of the fic.) So, if anyone can tell me where I can get the downloads, I'd appreciate it.

**GozenV:** More Heero? Well, I sure hope you're happy with Heero's little part in the chapter. Can't really put everything though because it'll give everything away too soon. Thanks for the review!

**HolyKnight5**: Thanks. After this I'll definitely reply the reviews as soon as I get them. And yes, I am trying very hard to blend the GW boys nicely into the Seed timeline.

**Zammy:** Patience, my friend. Duo and Wufei will make their appearances soon. Just not this soon. I need to put everyone nicely as to not disrupt the timeline. As for Zechs, I'm sorry to tell you that he won't be in this. And the GW gundams? He..he.. we'll see!

Unfortunately, people, I'm going to have to hit the books soon because exams are coming. So, I might not be able to write anything until some time in mid May, which means, I'm not going to be able to update until late May (that's only the earliest estimation) Just pray for a smooth study time and good health (I need those!)

Ja ne!


	5. Phase 04: Stardust Battlefield

**DISCLAIMER:** Gundam Wing and Gundam Seed Destiny are not mine (how I wish! ). Don't sue, it'll be a waste of money and time, which you can spend creating more Gundam series. 

**TIMELINE**: Happen throughout the Gundam Seed Destiny's events.

**WARNING: **Major spoilers!!! Especially for those who have not seen Destiny. So, there!

**PHASE 04: STARDUST BATTLEFIELD**

By Arayelle Lynn.

The silence on the bridge was so thick, one could slice it with a knife. All eyes turned to regard the Orb guests, particularly on the blue-haired young man sitting between PLANT's Chairman Gilbert Dullindal and Orb's Chief of State, Cagalli Yula Athha. Instead of cringing back from the sudden exposure, the young man's emerald green eyes met the chairman's dark ones evenly. In the background, computer terminals beeped, the comm. system crackled but no one seemed to be paying attention.

The Orb's Chief of State shifted. She leaned forward, as if to defend her aide. But before she could go any further than his name, Dullindal continued. "Do not worry, Representative Athha. I do not have any intentions of bringing more trouble to Mr. Zala. Otherwise, the effort put by the former chairman, Ms Canaver would go to waste." He turned to Athrun. "No, if anything, I would prefer to address people by their real identity. So, there is no reason for you to hide yourself, Athrun Zala."

The comm. crackled again. The communication officer jumped and turned to Captain Talia Gladys. "Captain, it's Impulse and Zaku. They've arrived at the designated point and are searching for the enemy." The captain turned away from the drama behind her to regard the tactical officer.

"They're on the radar, ma'am but we can't pinpoint their exact location. The magnetic field in the debris is masking the enemy's signature," the lieutenant reported.

"Keep your eyes open," she instructed. "They're in there somewhere."

"Yes, ma'am."

Gladys spared another glance at the four behind her. Drawing a deep breath, she swiveled around to face the front. It was time for her to stop thinking about the immaterial and start concentrating on the war.

**xxxXxxx**

"Where are they?" Shinn wondered, his eyes raking over the floating remains around them critically.

"They could be out of the debris already," Luna suggested. She and her team were searching not far from his position. "You know as well as I know that the magnetic field could be interfering with the radar."

"No. If they are out, Minerva would've picked up their trail regardless the interference and inform us," Shinn replied, shaking his head. "No, they're still around here somewhere. I can feel it."

Luna shrugged but did not say anything. Who could argue against Shinn's infamous gut feeling? Meanwhile, the asteroids continued to float around them. There was no sound, no light not even movement except their own. The place felt dead to her.

So where had the enemy disappeared to?

"I don't like this," she heard Shinn said as he went in even further.

She did not say a thing. But for the first time, Luna agreed with him

**xxxXxxx**

Quatre Raberba Winner watched the silent exchange between Dullindal and Alex Dino, no, Athrun Zala. Like others, he too had been shocked by the revelation. Throughout their meeting, he had a feeling that the Orb party was harboring a secret but he had not expected this!

Suddenly a feeling of dread washed over him. Frowning, he looked around him, wondering what had triggered this sense of danger inside him. Unconsciously, his hand began massaging his chest.

Glancing back at Zala, Quatre found that the young man was sensing it too. The young man was staring at the front screen as if expecting some danger. His knuckles were white as he gripped on the armrests tightly.

In front, Captain Gladys held the exact same pose as Zala. Her shoulders were tensed as she waited in anticipation for the enemy to show up. They all knew that the enemy's ship had entered the asteroid belt. The radar even confirmed it although the magnetic field seemed to be scattering their signal. So, where was the enemy? Where were they hiding?

Suddenly it clicked into place. At the same time, Zala vocalized the realization, "It's a trap!" He almost stood but Captain Gladys, who had reached the same conclusion, spared the young man a sharp glance, effectively silencing the seasoned elite pilot. And almost at the same time, Bogey-1 disappeared from radar.

**xxxXxxx**

"They're in position."

Colonel Neo Lorrnoke nodded, watching the ZAFT mobile suits unwittingly entered their trap. Gesturing at his second-in-command, he said, "Now would be a good time to attack, don't you think?"

"Aye, sir," Captain Ian Lee responded, turning to direct his subordinates. "Signal the Extended to begin attack." He turned to his helmsman. "Take us in. And launch the remaining suits. We're taking on the enemy's ship. This will be the place where they'll make their final stand."

**xxxXxxx**

He realized something was wrong the second he heard the comm. crackled and Lunamaria's voice warning him. "Shinn, look out!"

He swerved, narrowly missing the projectile that was meant for him. However, his wingman was not so lucky. The shot hit the Zaku's main engine and it vaporized. Before Shinn could bit back a curse, three familiar-looking mobile suits appeared from the debris. "It's them!" he warned, mostly for Luna's sake.

The trio fired again, destroying what was left of the unit that was accompanying Shinn and Luna. Soon, they were the only ones left standing.

Unable to contain his rage over his fallen comrade, Shinn took on two of the Gundams. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Luna engaged in a fierce battle with the black Gundam. Shinn opened a channel to Minerva to report the ambush but what he was receiving in return made his blood ran colder.

**xxxXxxx**

"Take cover at the nearest asteroid," she ordered, wincing as Minerva shook again. The helmsman piloted the vessel into a narrow gorge on a huge asteroid, providing a little cover for them. "Stick close to the surface and get ready to return fire on my mark." She turned to the CIC officer. "Meyrin, tell Luna and Shinn to return immediately."

"They can't. They're engaging the enemy mobile suits as it is."

Captain Gladys wanted to curse their fate but held herself in check. So, that was the enemy's plan. They lured Minerva into the asteroid to scramble their radar. When Minerva sent out a search party, they waited until Impulse and most of the Zaku unit were too far to provide support and attack.

"I can't shake them," Malik Yardbirds, the helmsman, reported. He struggled to keep the big ship moving smoothly inside the narrow gorge and at the same time avoiding the missiles and the rocky surface.

"And we can't open fire unless we're clear," said Lieutenant Chen. Captain Gladys balled her fists, her mind was working for new ideas to get them out of their present predicament.

Arthur turned to her. "What if we release Rey? He can provide us with cover."

"No, that'll only endanger him," Gladys overruled. "We can't protect him from the weapon's fires and the asteroid debris. He'll be crushed before he even leaves the launch pad."

But still, they need to return fire. It could at least give Minerva a moment of reprieve so they could think of ways to get out of danger. But how?

**xxxXxxx**

"Minerva's under attack!"

"What?"

Shinn rolled out of the way just in time. "We need to go back."

"I know but somehow these people are trying to keep us here."

"That's the reason why they're here in the first place. Their orders are to keep us here and destroy us so we couldn't return to Minerva to back her up when their ship attacked." He gritted his teeth, taking a swing at the green Gundam. "So, we have to break free."

"No kidding, any idea how?"

**xxxXxxx**

"Ready cannons," Colonel Lorrnoke instructed as the tactical crew prepared to execute his orders. "Fire on the asteroid surrounding the ship, as many as you can. Now that they've entered the gorge, we want to keep them there until the end."

"Aye, colonel."

Neo stood, seeing that everything was in place. He turned to his right. "Lee, I'll leave the rest to you," he said before making his way out of the bridge. He went straight towards the launching bay. He could no longer contain the excitement that was bursting inside him. Though it was sufficient enough for him to oversee the enemy's impending destruction from the bridge, Neo found himself yearned to be the one who deliver the final blow.

"Nanashi," his voice rang across the busy launching bay. He did not have to wait long for the said technician to come over and handed him his helmet. Neo took it with a grateful smile and was mildly surprised to see his Windam, all prepped and ready, waiting for him on the launch pad.

"Thank you," he said to the stoic young man, who took the appreciation pat silently. Neo then climbed on his mobile suit and signaled Will Curtis, the head technician, who instructed his team to prepare for a launch.

Once the launch pad was clear, Neo waited for the CIC officer to authorize his launch. As soon as the lights went green, Neo stepped on the accelerator and was off to battle.

**xxxXxxx**

"Missiles at four o'clock!" Bart Heim reported from sensors, drawing everyone's attention.

"Evasive maneuvers," Gladys barked. "Fire top cannons."

But before the cannons could be fired, another voice added. "Move the ship away from the asteroid!"

Surprised by the sudden interruption, all eyes went to the blue-haired Orb aide. But those precious seconds of hesitation proved to be their downfall. When the missiles hit the target, Minerva shook violently, even as the helmsman tried fruitlessly to avoid the asteroid's rough surface to minimize the damage. Minerva shook again and again as a series of explosion tore all over the ship, nearly throwing the bridge crew off their seats.

For a moment the bridge was plunged into darkness before the emergency power kicked in. Crewmen rightened themselves on their seats and started manning their stations. Damage reports were read aloud, as fires were being put out all over the ship. But before all the damage could be assessed, Lieutenant Heim gave them a more immediate concern. "Incoming mobile suits!"

They turned to the screen to see three mobile suits making their way towards them. Behind them, Bogey-1 came in steadily. It looked as if she was ready for the final kill.

Captain Gladys turned to her helmsman. "Can we move?"

Yardbirds shook his head. "We're trapped. The rocks that fell on us are keeping us from moving." Some of the crewmen cursed, earning a reprimand look from Gladys. "I hate to tell you this, captain but I think they meant to trap us here."

Exactly as Zala's warning had been, albeit a little too late. Gladys spared another glance at the young man, noticing the guilt in his otherwise calm façade. "Meyrin, tell Rey to launch. Only he can buy us time until we come up with something," she instructed. The red-haired girl scrambled to lay out the orders to the blond pilot who had been standing by.

Captain Gladys then leaned back, her brain struggling to form some kind of plan to get them out of the mess. It was then Chairman Dullindal asked, "Is there any suits left on the ship?" He was concerned at the thought of Rey defending the ship without support.

She turned to him, assessing his words carefully. "We do but we do not have enough pilots." There was an inaudible gasp coming from the young man sitting next to the chairman. Gladys watched as Dullindal observed the conflicted look on Athrun Zala's handsome face, knowing exactly why the older man inquired about the mobile suits in the first place.

**xxxXxxx**

"I will not let Minerva fall. Gilbert is there," was the mantra that kept playing in Rey's mind the second he launched. He gripped the throttle tighter, refusing to imagine what would happen should Gilbert Dullindal fall in battle. All the plans…

"No, never!" He shook the negative thoughts aside. He forced himself to concentrate on the battle. Suddenly, a strange but familiar pang hit his consciousness. Finally getting accustomed to the strange feeling, Rey quickly navigated his Zaku towards it. He was determined to destroy this enemy before it does any harm on the chairman.

**xxxXxxx**

Gladys was already at the end of her options. Every time she thought off something that could get them out of their present predicament it was shot down due to the extensive damage of the ship. Truthfully, she was beginning to run out of ideas.

Suddenly a voice from the back drew her attention. It took her a second to realize that the Orb's personal aide had asked the condition of the accelerators on the ship's starboard side. For a moment she hesitated. No matter who the young man was said to be, she was not about to disclose a classified information. But she was once again overruled when Dullindal nodded his approval.

She sighed in resignation. She glanced at the damage report on her personal screen before answering, "Only six of them are functioning but even so, we would still be moving too slow to escape the enemy."

The emerald green eyes locked on hers calculatively. "Then fire the starboard side gunners at the asteroid's surface," he instructed, surprising everyone on the bridge, his employer included.

"Now just wait a fricking minute," Arthur protested from his station. "If we fire the gunners so close to the rock surface, we'll caused further damage to the ship as well."

"No, he's right. It's the only way," a new voice joined the discussion, further surprising everyone. All eyes turned towards the blond young man who had been sitting quietly all the while. Now he was standing, his intelligent cerulean blue eyes looked imploringly at the captain, begging for understanding. "If we fire the gunners on the rock surface, we could use the explosion to push the ship free and navigate ourselves out of the gorge," he explained, seeing the blank look on some of their faces.

Athrun picked up from where the blond had left off. "Our top priority now is to get out of here alive. We're sitting duck if we stay here any longer." He started when he felt Cagalli's hand on his. Realizing what he had just done, Athrun sank back into his seat and looked away from the stares. Quatre, realizing that he too was out of line, blushed and sat back with an inaudible apology.

Dullindal studied both young men intently. He had expected Zala to speak up but had not expected his own aide to lend his support so vigorously. Putting his own thoughts aside, he turned to Gladys. "Talia, I think it's the best course of action."

Captain Gladys had been thinking it over carefully and now she nodded. Zala's idea was foolhardy but it was the only solution that had some merit. "We'll try," she decided, raising her hand to stop Arthur's silent protests. "Ready the starboard side gunners," she instructed. "Helm, prepare to fire accelerators."

"Gunners ready."

"Accelerators on line."

"Attention all hands. Brace for impact," she announced, her eyes watching the screen where the battle between Rey's Zaku and the enemy's mobile suits intensified. She watched as Bogey-1 approached nearer for the final kill, unsuspecting that its prey had already a plan to escape.

Then the enemy's ship entered her intended zone. Quickly, Gladys told her crew to fire the gunners. For a moment, the ship shook viciously as sounds of rock hitting metal and small explosions coming from the ship's interior. Dusts and black smoke clouded the screen, obscuring their sight of the space beyond. When the dust and smoke finally engulfed the entire ship, the accelerators were fired on and they felt the ship moving slowly. Then with a whoop, Yardbirds announced, "We're clear!"

"Make a sharp turn. Target Bogey-1 with everything we've got," Gladys quickly ordered, intending to use the opportunity to cause damage to the enemy's ship. It was high time the hunter became the hunted.

**xxxXxxx**

While fighting the white Zaku, Neo could not help but wonder who the pilot was, who seemed to draw such strange feeling of apprehension from him. Neo knew that he was not easily fazed. In fact, he had trained hard to not let his emotions get the better of him. He knew that he was a highly composed man who never let anyone see his real reaction. But the presence of this particular pilot brought forward a strange feeling that he had kept deep within him. And he did not like it. And he was very displeased when the enemy's pilot managed to destroy his unit, Miller and Joe, before they could destroy the enemy's ship.

'Who are you?' he thought, feeling his control over his emotions slipping. From the corner of his eyes, Girty Lue moved in closer to deal the ZAFT ship with the final strike. 'Why can't I kill you?' he wondered, staring at the white Zaku before coming in for another attack.

He was so engrossed with the ZAFT pilot that he failed to predict the enemy ship's next move. So it shocked him when the big ZAFT ship unbelievably but successfully free itself from under the rocks.

"What!" he gasped, and then saw the ship turned around and target the unsuspecting Girty Lue. "Lee…" he began, fiddling with the comm. but he was unable to warn his ship in time.

**xxxXxxx**

Shinn was really starting to hate the sight of the three Gundams. Every time he tried to break free from one, another would appear to block his exit. And judging from the updates that he had been receiving from Meyrin from time to time, the battle on the other side had not gone well either. Minerva was trapped in a gorge, unable to move and Rey was the only pilot available to provide the ship with defense. And the level of urgency and hint of panic in Meyrin's voice just made him even more desperate to return to Minerva.

If only he could.

Glancing at the gauge, Shinn bit back a bad word when he saw how low his power levels were. However, he was too far away to have Meyrin send in a new power pack. A movement from his left reminded him of Luna's presence as well. She had been fighting the black Gundam ferociously since the beginning and would certainly be running out of power by now!

"Shinn!" Luna's voice crackled through the comm. He dodged aside, narrowly missing a surprise attack from the black Gundam who had decided to play with him after all. Luna flew in to assist him but was cut off by the other two Gundams.

"Damn it! We really need to get back fast," Shinn cursed, firing at the black Gundam who dodged and returned fire. "We've got to help Minerva!"

**xxxXxxx**

"Open fire!" She ordered. The Minerva massive Tanhauser cannon shot an angry white beam towards Bogey-1, who was completely taken by surprise. The crew of Minerva watched as the enemy's ship tried to avoid the beam's path but it was too late. The blast hit the ship's starboard side. And as Minerva flew sidelong the ship, they could see that the enemy was suffering from heavy damages.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Neither ship returned any weapon's fire. Each not only were suffering from damages but had exhausted nearly all of their energies. Then Bogey-1 fired three colorful flares, signaling her pilots to return. The Windam, who was battling Rey's Zaku, took heed of the signal and returned to the ship. A few seconds later, three more mobile suits, the Gundams, who had been engaging Shinn and Luna appeared to retreat into their ship. Then Bogey-1 started to break away. Instantly, Captain Gladys started issuing orders to follow the ship but was interrupted when Commander Trine reported that their engines were fried due to Zala's crazy maneuvers.

"That's enough, Talia," Dullindal intervened, drawing everyone's attention. "We can't bring any unnecessary harm to Prime Minister Athha and her aide."

Sighing, Captain Gladys turned to the two guests. "I'm sorry," she apologized before turning to her CIC officer. "Meyrin, signal the flare and call Shinn and the others back."

**xxxXxxx**

The second he touched down in the launch bay, Neo was displeased to see the extent of damage that had broken throughout the ship. He listened as the Girty Lue captain gave him a brief damage report, watching as his technicians and soldiers alike running about to put out the fires resulted from the enemy's unexpected counterattack.

One particular fire caught his attention. It came from the hangar where they stored the three Gundams. Thick, black smoke bellowed out to the ceiling as the air filters worked overtime to process the air around the ship. Neo noticed most of the technicians were converging their efforts on this particular hangar and he was surprised to find Sting, Auel and Stellar among them.

Jumping down from his Windam, the assistant chief technician saw him and came over. "Sir," the young man saluted. Sweat and soot smeared his handsome face.

"Mr. Elwis. Report," Neo demanded.

The young man scratched his head, nervously. "I don't know about the rest of the ship but the fires in here have all been contained except for that one," he motioned towards the blaze.

Neo took another look at the burning mess. Despite the sprinklers and the other fire retardant systems, the hangar continued to burn viciously. Red, angry inferno devoured the interior, making the effort to put them out seemed so futile.

"Neo!" a soft and tiny voice called out. He turned to see Stellar running towards him. Distress was clearly written on her pretty face. She threw herself at him, pointing at the burning hangar. "Nanashi."

Shocked, Neo turned to look at Sting and Auel. The two boys had not been standing around as he first thought. In fact, they seemed to be trying to find a way to get into the blazing fire. Turning to the technician, he inquired. "What happened?"

"Chief Curtis is trapped in the fire," Elwis explained, he too was looking a little distressed. "The kid went in and hasn't come out since then."

"There, I see them!" One of the technicians shouted out. Neo and the others joined the chaos. Ignoring the heat, Neo stepped closer, his eyes straining to locate his missing crewmen among the fiery inferno. He spotted a speck of shadow moving through the fires. Without a word, he grabbed a water hose from a soldier and directed it at the fire.

"Colonel," his men warned him but Neo ignored them. Instead he stepped as closer to the fire as he can, all the while pointing the hose at the moving shadow, drenching it. His men must have understood his action because they too aimed their hoses around the area, wetting and cooling it.

A short time later, the shadow formed into a figure. Neo could finally make out a tall figure staggering out of the fire, carrying a large bundle on his shoulder. The closer he got, the more Neo recognized the figure to be Nanashi.

As soon as he was out of danger, Nanashi fell onto his knees, almost dropping the bundle. Stellar, Sting and Auel rushed to his side. He seemed to be struggling to breathe.

"Medic!" Neo barked as he knelt down beside the young man. Nanashi struggled out of their hands, seemingly more worried about the bundle that he had been carrying earlier. Looking at it more carefully, Neo finally made out the face of his chief technician, Will Curtis.

Pushing his shaky hands away, Neo turned to him. "See to yourself first, Nanashi," he ordered, not wanting the young man to elevate his injuries. Quickly, he turned to the unconscious man, checking for his pulse. "He's not breathing," he said to the first medic to arrive.

"We'll take over from here, sir," the medic said, waving her team to get the stretcher fast. The sound of a hard cough caught Neo's attention as he turned his attention back to the young man. Nanashi was barely conscious as he lay in Stellar's arms. But even so, he kept his gaze stubbornly on the unconscious man, as if trying to make sure that he was alright.

Only when the man was safely tucked on the stretcher and wheeled out of the hangar did he finally lost consciousness.

**xxxXxxx**

"Please accept my deepest apology for involving you and your aide in our crisis," Dullindal was apologizing as he and Gladys escorted the Orb party to their temporary quarters.

"It's alright, Mr. Chairman. I'm sorry that everything turned out the way it is," Cagalli responded, her regret was genuine. "I hope we can find a solution soon. We wouldn't want things to escalate more than it already is."

"How right you are," he agreed, stopping in front of a quarter that Gladys had indicated to be the Orb's temporary accommodation. "Would you like to contact Orb? I can have the crew work their way to contact the nearest Orb ship."

"Actually, I have sent word. A ship is on its way to fetch you and your aide and send you back to Orb," Gladys interrupted.

Cagalli spared a smile. "Thank you, Capt. Gladys. For everything." The older woman returned her smile. The Orb princess entered the room, followed by her aide.

"We survived only because of Athrun," Dullindal said, watching as the said young man froze in mid step. The door slid close, trapping him with the other two Coordinators. "His battle-honed strength is exceptional. I've never seen anyone with such skills."

"You're flattering me, Mr. Chairman," Athrun said, his voice was soft. Then as if remembering his place, he turned towards Gladys. "I'm sorry for my impropriety, captain. I didn't mean to override your command like that."

Gladys saw the remorse in his eyes and smiled. "No need for apologies, Mr. Dino," she said, still using the name Athrun gave them. "In fact, I'm grateful that you stepped in when you did. Your judgment was correct and without you, we would be in a worse situation. So, I thank you for saving my ship." With that, she and the chairman left.

Athrun stood before the door, clenching and unclenching his hands. The use of his real name brought back some painful feelings. Originally, he had not wanted to come to PLANT at all. He knew that the pain was still too near for him. But then, he would not risk Cagalli's safety by allowing her to go alone. So, he forced himself to face his pain, hoping that the memories would not hurt him as he thought it would. But now he could not stop himself from thinking about the home he had abandoned, the enemy he had killed and the friends he had lost.

Rusty, whom he lost during their infiltration of EA's secret base on Heliopolis.

Miguel, whom he lost during his first battle against Kira.

Nicol, who sacrificed his life to save Athrun.

Creuset, who was defeated by Kira.

His father, Patrick, who was shot to death on Genesis.

And his dearest mother, Lenore, an innocent civilian killed in a tragedy that started the whole bloody war.

Recalling their memories, their faces, only made his stomachs twist and turn. As he remembered the events from two years ago, he was unable to stop himself from revisiting the moments when he had nearly killed Kira, endangered Cagalli and Lacus and killed Kira's best friend, Tolle. All the painful memories kept playing, making his head hurt.

Suddenly, he felt he could not face Cagalli yet. Turning around, Athrun walked away from their quarters.

**xxxXxxx**

He knew the moment he reached the stairs, they had a visitor. A pair of hushed voices streamed through the windows. Interested to know what was being said, he made himself comfortable on the rusty fire escape.

"I told you he is unstable. We should have never used him in the first place!" a man was saying.

"He's doing fine so far. In fact, he's doing much better than any of us combined." A woman's voice responded.

"He nearly missed the target! How is that indicating that he's doing better than us?"

"Simple. He accomplished every mission that was given to him. He neutralized every threat. He even got into every security network even further than any of us could. Plus, the Big Man recommended him."

"But he still nearly caused an uproar. If he had missed then, all of our efforts would go down the drain."

"But he didn't. And it wasn't his fault. The attack on the base had been unexpected. Even central command was caught off guard. Given the circumstances, Heero Yuy had performed brilliantly, far beyond expectations. If it had been anyone else, the mission would've been total failure."

"Plus, he managed to gather precious information on the newest models. The Big Man was very pleased."

The man snorted. "Yeah, _precious_ information that is obsolete as long as the three models remained in Phantom Pain's grasp."

"Actually, the information is more useful to us in another way."

"You mean… I see." He stopped. Then realization dawned on him. "You weren't supposed to know that! How?"

"Do you think you're the only one who's being distrustful? ZAFT, EA and Orb's security networks aren't the only place Yuy had been hacking in. And it was this trait that made him invaluable to us, to quote the Big Man."

"Alright, fine! Just make sure there won't be a repeat of the last mission. Central command thinks that a full scale war is unavoidable. And we need to make sure the war that we're fighting won't turn everything into a catastrophe."

"You have my word."

"And keep a leash on your boy. I don't want him sniffing his nose in our network any more." A door was slammed.

Deciding that he had heard enough, he stood, announcing his presence. The orange haired woman watched as he climbed through the window before addressing him. "I guess you heard everything, right?"

"Hn."

"I'm going to leave you to do things as you see fit. The Big Man trusts you explicitly and I haven't found any reason to hinder your movements. Just don't overdo it."

The Prussian blue eyes regarded her unwaveringly.

Sighing, the woman handed him a disc. "Your new mission. You're still doing it solo and you're expected to report back in two days."

"Roger."

The boy took the disc to the nearest computer terminal as she walked out of the room. Before he could play the disc, the woman popped her head back in, smirking. "By the way, how's school?"

The incredulous look she received from the boy sent her laughing.

**xxxXxxx**

The sound of footsteps made him look up. Standing at the threshold, looking as if he was about to enter, was the chairman's personal assistance, Quatre Winner. "Um… may I come in?" he asked, hesitantly.

It was a strange question, really. They were both in the crew lounge, so it was open access. But after a few seconds, Athrun finally read the real meaning behind the question. The guy was asking if it was alright for him to intrude.

Truthfully, Athrun wanted nothing more than to be alone right now. There were things in his mind that he had to sort out and he would prefer to do it without an audience. But something about this guy calmed the raging thoughts inside him. He did not know what but suddenly, the pain in his heart eased a little.

Seeing that Quatre was about to turn around and leave, Athrun quickly said, "Please, come in." Gesturing at the big, empty lounge. "You don't really think that a small guy like me could occupy such big space, do you?"

Quatre smiled, dropping the hand that had been massaging his heart. "Actually, I was looking for you. I thought you could use some company," he responded, sinking next to Athrun on the sofa.

"Thanks but I think I'd prefer a female company than male ones," Athrun bantered, earning a soft laugh from his companion.

"Oh, I'm wounded. There must've been an easier way for you to break a guy's heart!" His words made both of them laughed. They continued teasing each other that by the end of it, Athrun was wiping his eyes from laughing. It had been a long time since he had this kind of companionship. And Quatre Winner was the last person he thought would be the one. Although they had just met, it felt as if they were friends a lifetime.

"So, Athrun Zala. Who would have thought?" Quatre changed the subject and saw the mirth disappeared from his eyes.

"Yeah."

"I'm not going to pry any further," he said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Not until you're ready to share."

"Thanks," Athrun answered, giving him a grateful smile. Then they sat in a companionable silence.

"Have anyone see to your wounds yet?" The unexpected question caught him by surprise. He turned to see Quatre studying him intently. Reaching over, the blonde touched the tender spot at the back of his head. A flash of pain pounded in his ears as Athrun hissed.

"This." Quatre showed a speck of red on his fingers.

"It's nothing," he responded, once the pain eased to a dull throb. No wonder he was having a headache. "It's a just scratch."

Quatre rolled his eyes. "I don't see a third eye growing at the back of your head, so I'm a bit mystified as to how you know enough to diagnose the wound." He stood up. "Wait here, I'll get the med kit."

"What?" Athrun blinked at him, surprised by the unspoken offer.

Quatre shrugged. "I have a feeling you don't want to see the medic for that and that you wouldn't want Representative Athha to worry, so I'm cleaning it up for you." Without waiting for an answer, he limped his way out of the room.

**xxxXxxx**

"Thank god you're all okay!"

"Meyrin!" Luna waited for her sister to join them. Seeing the worried look on her face, she gave her a quick hug. "I'm glad you're alright too. For a moment there, I thought I lost you."

"Me too," Meyrin responded, addressing Shinn and Rey as well. Then the light of concern in her eyes turned to excitement. "You won't believe what happened. We were saved by Athrun Zala!" She related the latest events to them.

"So I was right!" Luna snapped her fingers. "Alex Dino is Athrun Zala," she confirmed, as Shinn and Rey exchanged glances. She shook herself in wonder. "Imagine that. ZAFT's renowned Ace pilot, here, on this ship!" She clapped her hands. "I can't wait to see him again. Maybe he can give me a few pointers to improve my piloting."

"Yeah, that's certainly something that you would need."

"What's that suppose to mean, squirt?"

His sister stuck her tongue out. "It means that you're the worst pilot I've ever seen. Your Zaku's suffered the most damage and yet you're the only one whom the enemy engaged the least."

"H…how did you?"

"I made the effort of studying your every battle data. It's just something for me to write home about."

"Why you little…" Luna chased after her. Meyrin feinted left before circling around Shinn and Rey. She ducked when her sister thrust her arm between the two boys to catch her. Sticking her tongue out, Meyrin started to run away.

She could not have taken five steps before she hit something warm and fleshy. She gasped as she recoiled and hit the wall. A pair of arms encased her, cushioning the impact. Feeling the artificial gravity steadied them once more, Meyrin opened her eyes to look upon a pair of gorgeous cerulean eyes.

"Are you alright?" said a kind voice. Dumbfounded, she nodded her head, detaching herself from him. Quickly, she ran to where her sister and friends were standing, hiding behind them.

"My apologies," the stranger bowed before limping his way along the hallway. Four pair of eyes followed him until he disappeared into another corridor.

Finally over her thunderstruck, Luna breathed. "Who was _that_? I didn't see him on the crew's list." She looked at Shinn and Rey for answers in which they shrugged.

"Quatre Raberba Winner," Meyrin answered, sighing. "He's the chairman's personal assistant." Hearing that, Rey looked up. "Really?" The girl nodded. Rey stared back to where the young man had disappeared to.

"Wow! Two gorgeous guys on our ship!" Luna smiled, rubbing her hands together. "This should be interesting."

Meyrin frowned. "Anyway, back to Athrun Zala. Don't you find it strange? Why does he feel the need to use another name? The Chairman called him Athrun but he was reluctant to be addressed by that name."

"Who cares? Maybe he's just tired of the name," Shinn interrupted, suddenly tired of hearing about him. "Sheesh, you only worry about the insignificant things, Meyrin."

"But don't you find it strange? I mean, as Athrun Zala, he'll be known as a hero of the Bloody Valentine's war," she argued. Then a thought came to her. "Unless he was…" she cut herself off when she saw the object of their conversation sitting in the lounge. Clamping her mouth with her hands, she took refuge behind her sister, hiding her blushing face.

Athrun Zala looked up at them. An awkward silence followed before Luna stepped forward. "Glad to have finally met your acquaintance, Athrun Zala. It's an honor to finally meet the legendary Ace pilot."

The handsome bluenette rose to his feet. "Uh, please, call me Alex," he said.

For a moment Luna looked a little disappointed. But she quickly covered it with a smile. "Oh, is that the reason why you're not a pilot anymore?"

"Just leave the brat alone," Shinn's cold voice interrupted her. "Those who reside in Orb know nothing of the real world." With that he left the lounge. Rey saluted the former ZAFT pilot before catching up with Shinn.

Trying to mend the uncomfortable situation, Luna continued to regard the older boy. "Anyway, I've heard what you did on the bridge," she said, as Athrun or Alex, spared Meyrin a glance. "I just want to say thank you."

**xxxXxxx**

"He's a very lucky young man," the physician commented as he finished treating the burns. "If it had been any other unfortunate soul, he would've suffered a lot more than this. I heard the fire was furious."

"So, he's alright?" Neo pressed, watching the three Extendeds hovering over Nanashi.

The physician checked the patient's charts once more. "More or less. Limbs all intact and working. Minor burns on his arms, back and legs. He must've soaked himself with water before he went in, which most probably saved him from a more severe burns. It's his lungs that I'd want us to watch out for though I'm surprised that he hadn't thought of wearing a mask before going into the fire."

"He did," Neo informed. "He removed it to cover Curtis' mouth instead. He saved the man's life."

"Yes, yes," the physician nodded. "At any rate, I'd like to keep him here until we can get his breathing at a more tolerable level." His patient must've caught his words because he suddenly took off the oxygen mask and rose to his feet. The nurse tried to stop him but he just nudged her aside.

"Nanashi." That one commanding tone stopped the young man from crossing the threshold. Neo walked over to him, seeing the pale and drawn look on his face. But even as he tried to keep himself from coughing, his eyes met Neo's impassively.

Impressed by the boy's strength, Neo put a hand on his uninjured shoulder. "Nanashi, I know you feel like you're wasting your time here while there's much work to be done down below but you need to rest." He squeezed the shoulder a little but not enough to hurt. "It's an order."

The boy relented. Neo led him back to bed. "Don't fuss over him," he warned the nurse, who were about to replace the mask back on and tuck the patient in. "He does not like it." When he spotted a familiar crewman stepping into the room, turned to the Extendeds. "It's time for your own rest," he said, before the crewman had a chance to speak. "Go with him."

The Extended spared a last look at Nanashi before following the crewman. Neo turned to address the stoic technician only to discover that he was fast asleep. "Well, now," he said to the physician. "I guess the only thing left to do is to wait for Dr. Kimball to come out from the OR."

**xxxXxxx**

Quatre found him sitting on the same spot as he had left him. The bluenette held his head in his hands, also the same posture he had seen when he first intruded on the former ZAFT ace pilot. Clearing his throat, he was mildly surprised to see a pair of weary emerald green eyes staring blearingly back at him.

"You might want to take off the jacket first," Quatre advised as he turned to the keypad on the wall to try figure out how to lock the door. It did not take him long. He then turned to his new friend.

Placing the med kit onto the coffee table, he gestured for Athrun to turn so he could take a closer look at the wound. The cut itself was not deep. It ran five centimeters at the base of his skull, just above his neck. It was not visible due to Athrun's dark blue locks, unless regarded by keen eyes. And it was by Quatre's keen eyes that he caught a slight discoloration on Athrun's shoulder blades.

"Does your shoulder hurt when I do this?" he prompted as he poked at the blue black bruises. Though Athrun had not cry in pain, the slight tension on his frame told him that it was painful.

"I thought so," he responded, then requesting Athrun to remove his shirt as well. The patient just gave him a disbelief glance that made him laugh. "Come on. You've made your preference for females quite clearly," he teased, making Athrun blushed. "I just need to see the bruises on your back," he explained, patiently.

Athrun complied, wincing a little when he pulled at some knotted muscles. Once the shirt was off, Quatre ran deft fingers onto the smooth but blue-black skin. Again, the bruises were not serious but he gathered that Athrun would suffer from stiffness in the morning.

They sat in silence as he cleaned the cut. Each was lost in his own thoughts. Then, Athrun broke the silence. "You must've done this before, haven't you?" he asked, surprised by the tenderness Quatre was displaying.

Quatre frowned, and then sighed. "I must have," he responded but failed to elaborate. Guessing that it was a sensitive subject, Athrun decided to give Quatre the same respect he had given him. He did not probe any further.

"I'm done with the cut," Quatre announced, examining his work quite proudly. He then took a small green container. "I'm putting on some cooling salve to ease the swelling on your back."

Once he was finished, he packed the kit as Athrun put on his shirt. "Thank you," he said, gratefully. "For this and for the support earlier," he continued, hinting the incident on the bridge. Quatre smiled. "You're welcome."

It was just a little gesture but the spark of friendship Athrun felt then made his burden a whole lot lighter.

**xxxXxxx**

Due to extensive damage she suffered from her previous battle, the spaceship Minerva was forced to remain hidden among the debris. While repairs were being made throughout the ship, those who were not involved found themselves attempting to gain as much rest as they could.

Talia Gladys, captain of Minerva, found herself in the arms of her old time lover, Gilbert Dullindal, chairman of PLANT's council. However, rest did not come easy for her. Even after their brief love-making, she found herself lying awake staring at the ceiling; the soft snore from the man lying beside her went unheard.

Similarly, Cagalli Yula Attha was lying on her bed, her eyes closed but she was wide awake nevertheless. Although there was lightness in the footsteps of her old friend when he had entered the room, the fact that Athrun Zala had made his way towards the computer terminal instead of his own bed told her that he was still disturb by his past. And she knew that as long as he was awake, she would find no rest herself.

Not far away, Rey Za Burrel shifted his gaze from the computer screen to the figure on the bed. Seeing how his roommate tossed and turned on the bed made him sure that the younger man was still awake even when Shinn Asuka had his back on him. Then he saw a glow coming from the boy as a distinctive voice came from the speaker of a cell phone. And Rey knew who the cell phone belonged to. He had seen his partner and friend gaze at it every single night.

In contrast to the others, Quatre Raberba Winner could be found asleep in the quarters that he was sharing with Minerva's second-in-command, Arthur Trine. However, his rest seemed troubled as he kept tossing and turning in his sleep. He dreamt of faces he did not know, places he had never been and events that never occurred. It was the same as any other nights for him.

Across the vastness of space, an alarm sounded in one of ZAFT's main headquarters. As they scrambled about the command center, a middle-aged man stepped into the room, looking over the chaos until his eyes landed on the person that he was searching for.

"What's happening?"

His subordinate, a man, years younger than him looked up from the screen. His face was as white as a sheet. He stammered. "S…sir. It's Junius 7. It's moving out of orbit!"

"What!" Shocked, he rushed forward to see the image on the screen. Sure enough, Junius 7 was moving out of its supposed trajectory. "This is impossible," he muttered desperately to himself. "Calculate its present path."

His subordinate licked his lips in deep anxiety. "We've done that. According to our calculation, it is falling onto the Earth."

Blood drained from his face as the feeling of dread filled every fiber of his being. "How long till impact?" he whispered, hoarsely.

"In a few hours."

**xxxXxxx**

Heero stalked his prey silently. It did not take him long to spot his target. All the information that he needed had been in the disc that Hilda gave him. Other additional information had been easily obtained, thanks to his skills in hacking.

He had been given two days to complete his mission, which was more than enough for him. In reality, he could get everything done and over with in less than a day. But Heero understood perfectly well why he was given such duration. It was not only that they want him to take out the target; central command also wanted him to watch and gather as much information from the target. They wanted him to observe the target, find out whom the target had been contacting, where the target had been going and most of all, they wanted him to find what the target had known. And all of these he will have to do without having a direct contact with the target, as to not expose his identity.

Heero Yuy was a shadow. Heero Yuy was not supposed to exist in this world. And it was imperative that he remained so.

And thus, the two-day duration.

And of course by doing that, central command was silently suggesting that he take out the target as quietly as he could, without witness, without hassle and more importantly, without giving away anything to everyone. They wanted no repeat of Heero's previous mission although that had not been entirely his fault.

Not tearing his eyes on the target, Heero started following the target out of the bar. His jaw clenched and his mind set solely on his mission as the perfect soldier he was. The coming war was far, far away from his mind.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**A/N: **There you go. The fourth installment in the crossover series. I'm sorry if it took me a while to update but if you had read my profile page, you guys would've known that I'm facing some difficult times right now. Hopefully things will settle down by the end of November.

There is one thing. I found myself a little surprise that no one had thought of asking me what's with the cloak-and-dagger stuff with Heero Yuy. I have yet heard anyone asking me what is Heero doing in the CE universe. I mean, it's pretty obvious where Quatre and Trowa are but Heero? Oh, wait. **Blue Dragon** did review, asking me what faction Heero belongs to. Silly me!

And don't worry about Kira, Duo and Wufei. They'll be making their appearances soon!

Lastly, I would like to thank **Azalie-Kauriu**, **Master Elora Dannan** and **Blue Bragon **for reviewing. Thanks also to those who listed this fic as favourites, to those who include this fic in their C2s and those who kept the fic under alert. It shows that you care and I'm very happy for it.

'Till the next update. Ja ne!


	6. AN

Author's Note! This is not an update!

Sorry, guys. I know a lot of people are waiting eagerly for the next chapter of 'Fairytales' and 'Wings of Destiny'. And the fact that I am sorely backdated… sigh… I deserved a punch or two. So, gomen ne. It's just that sh*t has finally hit the fan.

It seems bad things are happening to me non-stop since I last wrote. The last few days before I was planning to fly to Australia, I lost my notes for the next chapters. My friend and I went for a movie that day and since I left far too early, I planned to use the extra time to work on the new chapters. However, after the movie, I accidentally left my notes in the theatre. We searched high and low for it five hours later but the people working there said that they've probably throw it away, thinking it was a trash. So, I have to redo the whole thing and couldn't make the promised update.

Then, after my trip, I discover that the economy recession has really affected people not just financially but morally as well. There are some people at my work place, who is trying to get me fired. They have been planning to pin the department's lack of performance on me, accusing me of negligence. Sad thing is, those two happen to be my friends whom I respected since they were older and more experience than me. I had even gone out of my way to help them in the past and it just saddens me when that happened. So, I presented my case to my head supervisor, displayed proof of my work so that I could attest that their accusation is baseless. In the end, I was proved innocent but the damage is done. I no longer have love for the job and as soon as I am done with damage control, I'm going to switch jobs.

Imagine, all these happening all through the preparations of my sister's wedding, my other sister's first pregnancy, my favorite cat's death and almost monthly poor health. It was surprising that I hadn't a breakdown. My only comfort was the great fics that all of you have written. To name a few; HARPGO, MikariStar, Weissfreya, showmaster64x, Lisse08, RainbowKitsune, THiaLieN, Yuuram88, eclst, SomniumQuiesco (from KKM) waterlilylf, Dentelle-noir, Gecko Osco, TheGallowayGirls, Isis cw, StandingOnTheRooftops, Caer (from GW) Special shout out to all of you!

And those who cared enough to review, I love you so much! You make my day. I keep my passion for writing alive because of you. And I'm sorry for all the pain I am putting you through. You're the best people in all .

So please, bear with me. I am working on all of my fics regardless of what happened. No fic will go abandoned. The next chapter of 'Fairytales' and 'Wings of Destiny' will be submitted without any beta-reading since I'm sure you guys can't wait that long. Till then…

Arayelle

p/s: I'll delete this once I got the new chapter up.


	7. AN 2

Hey guys, good news. I recently won an overseas study grant. I'll be going to the U.S.!!! Which means I'll be leaving my job soon along with all the troublesome people. Thank you for all your well-wishes. Once I arrived at the university, I'll be buying myself a new laptop. So, you can expect the next update won't be an author's note but an actual chapter. You can check it out some time in February.


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